Radishes – A Super Food!
When you think of super foods you automatically think blueberries, salmon, dark green leafy vegetables, and almonds, but a radish? Yes, radishes indeed act as a diuretic, cleanse the kidneys and liver, curve inflammation, and reduce toxins in the body. Not to mention, a radish has only one calorie.
A radish is an edible root vegetable domesticated in Europe in Pre-Roman times. They are a hardy mild-season vegetable. Radishes can produce many crops each season due to the rapid days to maturity. Therefore, they are quick and easy to grow in any garden.
Known in some parts of the world as Daikon, the radish can be eaten raw, cooked, and pickled. Pickled radishes are especially popular in Asian markets and often mixed with cabbage for traditional Korean kimchi. Anything fermented helps the digestion system.
Radishes are most commonly found sliced thinly in salads, shaped like flowers on vegetable crudités, or as a garnish on many Mexican dishes. However, in France they are served as an appetizer. The freshly picked radish is served simply with fresh homemade butter and a pinch of sea salt. The spice and crunch of the radish is beautifully balanced with the creamy rich butter, and the flavor explodes with a hint of sea salt.
I am sure you are saying, “Oh great! I have a super food, and now I am going to add butter. How can that be good?” Well, homemade butter is better than the store bought product. It does not have any additives like carrageen or Arabic gum. It too has healthful benefits in moderation. It is an easily absorbed vitamin A, it has vitamin D that helps your body absorb calcium, and it is an antioxidant.
Anti-inflammatory foods that are rich in omega 3s and antioxidants help with weight loss, prevent disease, and slow down the aging process. So next time you want an interesting appetizer, just pick a radish from your garden.
Homemade Butter:
- Start with room temperature heavy cream. Be sure not to use ultra-pasteurized. Trader Joes has a great heavy cream.
- Pour the cream into a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
- Turn the food processor on and let it churn the cream into butter.
- After about five minutes, the cream will clump. The liquid that is released is buttermilk.
- Once the cream has turned into a solid you can turn the machine off.
- Pour the butter into a strainer and smash the butter down with a spatula to release all liquids.
- Scrape the butter into a crock and add a pinch of sea salt.
Bon Appetit!
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