I HATE radishes, but I have a bunch. What do I do with them??

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Hi,
I am not a picky eater. I will eat almost anything. However, after receiving bunch after bunch of radishes from my CSA and trying to make them palatable, I have come to the realization that radishes repulse me. I can't stand the smell or taste of them. What can I do to/with them to make them taste as un-radishy as possible so I don't have to throw my latest bunch out? I am looking to mask the flavor and smell as much as possible. I understand this is an odd request... thanks in advance!

[mamachef]

Top and trim them, turn if necessary, toss with oil and kosher salt and pepper and roast at 425 for about 25 minutes. You'll never look back. And serve them with a little sour cream if you like.

[sunshine842]

mamachef, is that for round radishes, or the oblong French breakfast type? (very different flavors)

[mamachef]

Rounds, which is why I mentioned turning if necessary. But I see no reason whatever this wouldn't work equally well with the sweeter, less-peppery French bkf. radish, which I like on buttered baguette whenever I can get them.

[huiray]

I particularly like using French Breakfast Radishes in stews and braises.

[sunshine842]

I'll have to try one of both of those...interesting. Thanks for the explanation.

[huiray]

Beef short ribs, pork rib tips, are nice meat-components for those stews or braises.

[LittleBee]

I'm not mad about radishes either, but CAN eat them in this salad:
sliced radishes
chopped green onions
chopped tomatoes
snipped dill
coarse salt
SOUR CREAM (this is the key, i think).
all mixed together and eaten asap, preferably off the plate you had supper on, preferably if that supper was sauteed meat of some kind.

[NanH]

I made a fish dish with a white fillet, broth, rice, sliced radishes and other veggies, including a hot fresh pepper. It was Asian-y in flavor and I thought I found the recipe on Epicurious but a quick search didn't turn it up. Everything was poached in the broth then served over rice. I poured enough broth over to make it soupy. The radishes were a revelation and I imagine the seasoning was soy, maybe fish sauce, miso broth, that type of thing.

[Teddymuffinrules]

Try juicing them. They Are much more palatable that way, they end up being sweeter tasting and they don't have that bitter twinge. Oddly enough, radish juice is an old cure for a sore, scratchy throat, especially from allergies. It really works!

[John E.]

I have made glazed carrots that turn out so good I have converted some cooked carrot haters into glazed carrot fans. (There is almost nothing worse than boiled carrots). That being said, I have never made glazed radishes but I will. Maybe the reason I have never cooked radishes is because I like them with just a sprinkling of salt. My mother used to tell a story from a family Thanksgiving when I was young and all I ate were radishes, although I think she was exaggerating just a little. (My mother always said holiday meals should never be an occasion to worry about what the children are not eating, save that for a weeknight battle when there are no guests. She was a wise woman).

[huiray]

Other posters have suggested braising them, cooking them, using them in soups (homogenized), etc. To add on to all that, try using them in stews and braises [with some kind of stewing/tendon-y meat, e.g. beef short ribs, pork ribs, etc] - intact, whole - i.e. as a root vegetable much as you would use carrots or parsnips etc. (any kind is usable, so long as the "imagined" taste combination with the other components of the stew/braise seems compatible; the final taste profile will vary based on what you used)

[IndyGirl]

I love them shaved extremely thinly with extremely thinly shaved kohlrabi. Add some dressing (lemon juice/olive oil/ salt), and a few capers and some thinly shaved parmesan. Outstanding.

[smtucker]

You might try a Vietnamese pickled carrot and radish to serve on/with sandwiches or spring rolls. To my taste, the pickling reduces the bite of the radish.

[enbell]

It sounds like the cooked preparations are working for you but in case you need more ideas here is a salsa recipe
http://www.tylerflorence.com/?p=1105

[astam]

you might actually really go for radish au gratin. they end up tasting like potatoes, but without all the carbs and startch: http://jordieporgie.blogspot.com/2010/04/radishes-au-gratin.html. or try sneaking a few into a salad, there its a nice subtle flavor: http://joyof.kosher.com/recipe/avocad... or even in a relish

[Isolda]

If you hate them, give them away. That's what I do with the brussels sprouts I get in my CSA share. I just don't believe in masking or trying to like foods I hate. Once you've given them a fair try, if you still hate them, give them up.

[AnneMarieDear]

My favorite way to eat radishes is from Ina Garten. Use good butter on a sliced baguette, sprinkle with salt, top with sliced radish. Eat. For you, try just a couple of very thin slices and see what you think. There's very little that isn't improved by bread, butter, and salt. :)

[Isolda]

This is my favorite prep for radishes, but they do still taste like radishes.

[danna]

It's a miracle. I don't like radishes any other way, but there's something about bread, butter, radish and salt that really makes them delicious.

[AnneMarieDear]

I'm with all of you. I never cared much about them either way until the bread, butter, and salt. So very good.

I'm not a huge anchovy lover, either, but Gemenigirl's link below has me thinking I ought to try it.

[sunshine842]

that's not Ina's creation -- that's a VERY old-school French appetizer.

It also depends on what *kind* of radishes you have -- my French breakfast radishes have radish-y flavor, but not a lot of heat, so those are the kind we search out. (oblong, white at the shoulder and fading to rosy red at the rood end).

We tend to avoid the red round ones, as we find them to be on the mealy side and more heat than flavor.

[prima]

Not only is radish+butter+salt+bread a very old school French way to eat radishes, it's also a very old school Bavarian way to eat radishes. Also traditional in Bavaria to eat the radish+butter+salt+bread with Leberkaese and/or Obatzda.

Would think that radish+butter+salt+bread might be fairly common in the parts of Europe that traditionally grow and eat radishes. ;-)

[sunshine842]

very possible!

[geminigirl]

and similarly, I've been wanting to try this recipie. I think I also got a tip on here to dip them in softened butter then salt, not the healthiest way to enjoy them but tasty...
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[TheSnowpea]

I make a radish purée that's a bit like horseradish using large black radishes, a splash of vinegar and some coarse salt. I think you could do the same with red radishes. Great on grilled meats.

You could also go the French route: baguette, good butter, paper thin slices of radish, sea salt.

[Rella]

The first time and only time I ever heard or seen or ate these "French route" sandwiches were at a vaudeville-show beer hall in Munich, Germany many, many years ago. I don't care a lot for radishes and haven't bought any in years (the little worm holes dissuade me), I can still taste how good they were -- of course, with a pitcher.

[Cheese Boy]

There are very few foods that I find repulsive and the red radish is certainly one of them. I say wait another day and then toss a few to the local squirrels. It will help keep them hydrated at least.

[Veggo]

Finely diced, they are a nice topping to fish or pork tacos.

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I guess it's a bit of stubbornness on my part that I haven't given up yet. We get all the usual and many unusual vegetables with my CSA and I've been able to find a preparation I like for all of them... except radishes. So I keep trying and trying... this is my last ditch effort, then I give up. :)

[Rella]

The local farmer I buy from told me that the radish greens are fabulous. She uses them in cooking as any other green, she said. When I asked, "mustard greens?" she said yes.

I immediately told her my story about the guy I convinced at Whole Foods to not tear off the beet greens and throw them in the carrot top garbage bin.

If you like greens and they are still fresh enough, why not braise a few as you might a rabe, and see how they taste.

I've not seen any recipe for radish greens in the past, but I don't doubt there is something somewhere about it.

[prima]

Here are 2 threads about preparing/cooking radish greens: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/330866

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/653743

I tried pickling radish greens, and cooking radish greens, but after a few attempts, I've decided I'm not a fan of radish greens (that's coming from someone who loves curly endive, dandelion, beet greens, turnip greens, etc), so I use them for compost.

[hala]

I got a recipe from a french magazine named Regal where they blanced then juiced the radish greens, mixed the juice with butter and used it to make pate feuilleté (puff pastry). mmmm. They cooked that and sutffed it with a white sauce with more radish leaves. Here is a picture of what it looked like when I made it.

[danna]

good heavens! that's gorgeous. you certainly are advanced!

[hala]

Thank you danna! Everyday I learn something new on chowhound and in some really good cooking magazines:)

[magiesmom]

well, it sounds like you haven't tried any cooked preps, so perhaps you will like them better, unfortunately a week old is too old for greens and maybe for the radishes to be at their best.

[prima]

Try roasting them in the oven, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic, stirring occasionally. (I use a 1:1 ratio of oil to vinegar). I find the roasting takes away the sharpness, and and the flavour of the vinegar makes them much less radishy.

This idea might also work. http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/06/...

[Harters]

Ah, solution is easy - bearing in mind the OP is repulsed by radishes and cannot stand their smell or taste. There's nothing for it but to give them away. Why would anyone want to persevere with something they really don't like - life is far too short for that.

[anthonyd]

Make a soup. Use some onion, carrot and garlic, sweat with the radishes, blend with a bit of water (veg stock if you had it) and finish with: cream, creme fraiche, and parm. blend and season. won't have any of that radishy harshness.

[LauraGrace]

I think they're fabulous quick-pickled with onions or in coleslaw, where their peppery, horseradishy taste can really shine.

[Breadcrumbs]

Radishes tend to have a peppery, pungent flavour that can be overwhelming if they are eaten raw and, on their own - especially if you haven't acquired a taste for them.

Here are some ways we enjoy them that might work for you:

Apple-Radish slaw: I julienne equal amounts of green apple and radish then toss w some lime juice, neutral oil, and some diced Thai bird chilies. This is nice on its own or as an accompaniment to grilled meats.

Roasted Radishes: I top and tail them then cut them in half and toss w some EVOO and Kosher salt then roast at 450° for about 15 mins or until they start to caramelize. Served warm or at room temp w a drizzle of EVOO and even a grating of fresh parmesan the caramelization enhances their sweetness and neutralizes the pungency.

Veggie Cream Cheese: This is so yummy as a topping for toasted bagels. Finely chop radishes, dill, green onion (I use my mini cuisinart) then add this to softened cream cheese. Season to taste w S&P.

Let us know how you make out!

[tdmort]

I love the veggie cream cheese idea. Sometimes it's the simple things....

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks tdmort! Enjoy!

[pescatarian]

I just got a recipe in my CSA that you might like:

Glazed Radishes

1 pound radishes, trimmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

in a heavy saucepan wide enough to hold radishes in one layer, cook radishes in butter with the sugar and the salt over moderately low heat, stirring, for 1 min. Add 1/2 cup water, simmer the radishes covered, for 10-15 min, or until they are tender, and boil them, uncovered, shaking the pan occasionally, until the liquid has been reduced to a glae. cook the radishes over moderate heat, swirling them, until they are coated wiht the glaze and sprinkle with parsley.

Then you could cut them up into small pieces and put in a salad.

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Pescatarian, I tried your idea today with the notorious radishes for whom this thread is named, and I'm happy to say that I liked this preparation. I also love the gratin and roasting ideas, so they're next on my list. Thanks to everyone for helping me... I knew if there was inspiration to be found, it would be here on Chowhound.

[pescatarian]

I'm glad it helped!

[FrenchSoda]

My mother makes this with a bit of maple syrup instead of the sugar. YUM.

[magiesmom]

not sure what you have tried, but braised radishes taste quite different than raw, more like turnips. I like them butter braised or braised in red wine with shallots, along with their greens.

but really, if you hate them why not give them away to someone who likes them, or better yet, to a food pantry?

[i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream]

Braised radishes sounds like a good idea... I don't think I've tried cooking them. If cooking them doesn't work, I think from now on I'll be putting them in the swap box, but this particular batch is over a week old and I wouldn't want to give it to anyone else. Thanks!

[sunshine842]

if they're over a week old and not fit to give to someone else, why subject yourself to them?

Ditch 'em and try these recipes next time you get some in your CSA box (if you don't give them away right away).