February 11, 2021
With not a lot of options for Valentine’s Day plans, it’s the perfect year for a romantic at home date night and the Indoor Market has LOTS of food options whether you’ll order in or cook at home! 👩❤️👨
And don’t forget that chocolate and those flowers! Here’s a list of who’s open and how to shop/order from them.
Meat/Produce/Cheese
Coffee/Tea:
Specialty Items:
Restaurants/Food Vendors:
Flowers & Gifts:
Let’s talk about radishes! These rad vegetables are one of my new favourites and yes, I will be using the “rad” radishes pun as often as possible! Radishes grow and can be found all over the world! From the classic round red radish to the twisted brown horseradish to the magical watermelon radish to black Spanish radishes to the carrot like white daikon radish and more, there are so many different varieties of this rad (we did it again) vegetable!
Radishes are a root vegetable with edible greens, just like turnips or beets for example. The common radish that you might know by sight is the small red radish. These are usually the size of gumdrops to golf balls to tennis balls and can be circles or oval shaped. These radishes are either red/purple all over or have a white gradient in them, and when you cut them open, they are white.
When it comes to selection, always ask your farmer because they know best! There are so many different varieties of radishes, but if you’re shopping for classic red roots, choose ones that are firm and smooth. When shopping for radish greens, it depends on how you plan to eat them. Smaller varieties of radishes will have milder flavour perfect for salads, and radishes that take longer to grow, like the daikon or the watermelon radish, will have “tougher” greens and are great cooked to soften the flavour.
Speaking of flavour, radishes have a crisp bite and range from mild, to slightly peppery to even spicy! The range in taste can be related to weather, growing conditions, etc. But, the typical daikons and red radishes are milder with the less common black radish having a sharp bite. I love the taste of radishes in my salad as they add that much needed colour, crunch, and kick, and they are amazing with dips!
Radishes can be stored in the fridge for about two weeks. If you wrap them in damp paper towels, it will help them keep their moisture and not dry out. Don’t clean radish greens before using, just keep them separately in the fridge. You can also freeze radish roots and greens. Simply wash, cut, dry, and freeze in an air tight bag/container.
Fun Fact! The scientific name for radishes is “Raphanus Sativus.” Raphanus is taken from a Greek word meaning “quickly appearing.” This refers to how quickly radishes grow, being ready for harvest after only a few weeks! This is also why radishes are often used in children’s gardens, because it’s a relatively easy first plant to grow!
Radishes are typically planted in the Spring and the Fall, but greenhouses make it possible to grow through the winter as well! We love a longer growing season.
Radishes just need a good cleaning and often don’t need to be peeled. They are usually eaten raw but can be cooked as well! Roasting radishes usually brings out a sweeter flavour while raw radishes will keep their kick.
Here’s an amazing simple recipe for roasted radishes, and here’s a great salad with radishes and lettuce and a flavourful mustard dressing. If you’re thinking to try radish greens, learn all about the process here for sautéing some fresh radish greens. Let us know – what’s your favourite way to eat radishes!? And, which veg do you want to talk about next?
