jaunthie | Radio Silence

Sorry for the lack of posts, but it's been the kind of week-and-change where there's been tons going on and lots to say and too much to choose from...and so I wind up saying nothing at all. Hopefully things will get more on an even keel soon, but for now, I think I'll talk about radishes.

Yes, radishes. I'm up to my eyeballs in baby radishes, not to mention the garlic curls and peas and all kinds of baby greens (multiple kinds of lettuce, two kinds of spinach, swiss chard, nasturtiums, mustards, etc.). But the radishes in particular are just going nuts, and in such a short time, too. They got planted in the last-built-and-planted bed, but you sure wouldn't know it to look at them now. The greens are so thickly crowded together it looks like a carpet, and the radishes themselves are ranging from the size of a shelled almond to an eyeball. They're all kinds of colors and shapes, too, from white to pink to red to deepest purple. Yum. I planted an heirloom mixed seed, and the range of shapes and shades is truly impressive.

So I've been thinning the radish plants out, and eating the radishes - but what about all those lovely radish tops? They looked so lush, I figured there had to be something useful I could do with them. I did a little research on the Internet, and found several different recipes for soups that used radish greens. I decided to experiment with my own variation on the theme.

a whole lotta radish greens (a colander-full), thoroughly washed and torn into chunks

6-8 garlic curls, washed and minced (if you don't have garlic curls, use 12-16 cloves)

1 shallot, washed and diced

4 medium-sized yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced

4 portobello turkey sausages (or any mild-flavored sausage or meat substitute), chopped into small pieces

1 quart veggie or chicken stock

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

salt and pepper to taste

a large sautee pan

a moderate-sized soup pot

a food processor or blender

Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in the sautee pan. Sautee the potatoes, shallot, and garlic curls until potatoes are softened and they and the shallot are browning in spots. Remove to soup pot, add stock, and start heating over medium heat. In the sautee pan, add the second teaspoon of olive oil and the radish greens, and cook until wilted, frequently turning and using the spoon to get up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the greens are thoroughly wilted, add them to the soup pot. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. While the soup is cooking, brown sausage bits in the sautee pan and set aside.

After a half-hour, carefully ladle the soup into the blender or food process and puree in batches until all is smooth. Return soup to pot. Add sausage bits, stir, and season to taste. Serve with fresh radish slices and a nice crisp salad of garden greens.

Tasty! It's a very pretty green color, too.