Roasted Radishes

I went a little overboard at Tower Grove farmers market last Saturday, buying bunches of radishes from two vendors. I couldn't resist those red & white beauties!

While I love eating fresh raw radishes dipped in herb salt or sliced thin on toasted bread with herb better (Herbes de Provence is my favorite to use), I knew I wanted to try roasting them instead...a recipe I've seen lately on foodie pic sites such as Foodgawker.

Initially, I saw the recipe on a blog called The Bitten Word. They weren't 100% enamored with the results, so I decided to look at the original recipe, which was printed in Food & Wine last month.

And, whadda ya know! It's Gerard Craft's recipe! I just met him on Thursday when I enjoyed a wine dinner at his restaurant, Niche! For those of you who aren't aware, Chef Craft was chosen as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs last year. I've eaten at Niche twice now (the first was for my 35th birthday in October) and the food has been superb each time (and he was nice to talk to, which is always a plus!).

Anyway, I really liked the roasted radishes. While they do lose their crisp pepperiness, the addition of lemon with the bitter greens creates a nicely tart side dish.

Roasted Radishes with Radish Greens

According to Food & Wine, "Gerard Craft came up with this clever recipe one year when his local farmer had an abundance of radishes. Craft tried roasting them. The result: warm, crisp-tender radishes with delightfully bitter greens, which he finishes with butter and lemon."

INGREDIENTS:

1. 3 bunches small radishes with greens attached
2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Trim the radishes and wash the greens; pat dry.
2. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the radishes, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the radishes for 15 minutes, until crisp-tender.
3. Return the skillet to the burner and stir in the butter to coat the radishes. Add the radish greens and cook over moderate heat until they are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season with salt. Serve the radishes right away.

1.