RECIPES:  Sauté of Fava Beans and Radishes, Roasted Radishes, Scandinavian Radish Salad

W

alk into many a taqueria and there they are. Sitting next to the pickled jalapenos and the lime chunks, there is usually a bowl of radishes. I asked a friend of mine, who is of Mexican descent, about why this is, and she did not have a concrete answer. Her surmise is about the same as mine – they are cheerful looking and look nice on a plate, and the cool crunch and hint of heat are welcome foils for the sometimes oily meats and density of refried beans. I asked her if her family used them in any dishes and she replied that they only use them sliced next to tacos for color and on top of posole (hominy and meat stew). I then looked radishes up in all the Mexican and Southwest cookbooks I have (and I do have quite a few) and could find only one recipe for using them raw as crudités.

The French relegate radishes to the same fate as well. Sometimes they put them in salads, but usually a radishes’ destiny on the French table is to be served cold with soft butter, salt, and dark bread as an appetizer. The Italians do much the same, although I did find a couple recipes where radishes are coupled with salty things such as bottarga (dried gray mullet or tuna roe) or cured anchovies. I point all this out to say that for the most part, it seems radishes are ignored, except to be considered essential to any crudités platter.

Alice Waters, in Chez Panisse Vegetables [Harper Collins, New York, 1996, ppg. 253] says, “No meal at Chez Panisse is complete without radishes.” She then goes on to say they put radishes on every table. I say this is a great place to start, but radishes can offer more. I love the colors of radishes and I think good radishes are excellent plain. I like to wash them off, take off the greens and thready root, and them dunk them in ice water for a while. The radishes get really cold and seem to firm up a bit more, and I find that combined with the peppery bite to be quite bracing.

RECIPES:   Spinach and Fennel Stuffed Mushrooms, Lemony Creamed Spinach, Easy Ohitashi, Szechwan Spinach Salad, Wilted Bloomsdale Spinach with Lemon and Pine Nuts, Indian Chickpea Vegetable Stew with Spinach Basmati, Copper Mountain Spinach Mushroom Quiche, Asparagus, Spinach, and Green Garlic Strata, Baby Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Feta Cheese, Slivered Almonds and Berry Mint Dressing

Spinach likes cooler weather, so that is why it has been showing up at Market the last couple weeks looking so nice. It’s available in bunches or loose, and with larger leaves and in “baby” form.

One of the great things about spinach is that it’s a green that works well both cooked and raw. The smaller leaves usually end up raw in salads, while the bigger leaves usually go into cooked dishes. Something to keep in mind however – just because a leaf is small does not mean it is young. Alternately, this logic applies as well to large leaves – some plants grow fast in the right conditions, and the leaves may be large but very tender and succulent. Small leaves may be older, but more robust. Look at the leaves and stems – taste a leaf, if you can. Tender delicate leaves are great for raw treatments, while robust, thicker leaves – which often mean the leaves contain lots of moisture – are ideal for sautéing or other forms of cooking.

RECIPES:  Sauce Maltaise, Blood Orange Marinated Roasted Cauliflower, Blood Orange Glazed Carrots, Blood Orange and Watercress Salad, Blood Orange and Sherry Vinaigrette, Blood Orange Sherbet

There are many varieties of citrus – hundreds, actually – and this is prime time to find them at the farmers market. Of the huge variety available, some seem to get more attention some years than others. Citrus varieties become fashionable, then others supplant them. Remember Minneola tangerines and Temple oranges? Now it is Cuties (actually a brand name for two types of Mandarins – the Clementine and the Murcott) that are the hot citrus.

One citrus that is always of interest is the blood orange. It is the most widely grown orange in Italy, and has lately been quietly fashionable amongst the “foodie” crowd that is driving the cocktail revival as a flavorful mixer and juice alternate to plain old O.J.

RECIPES: Classic Potato Leek Soup, Roasted Leeks en Papillote, Leeks in Vinaigrette

In the United States, if someone thinks of leeks, it is usually in the context of a supporting role such as being chopped into a soup or stock, or maybe as part of potato leek soup, with the emphasis on potato and leeks as support. However, in Europe and parts of the Middle East, leeks are viewed as a vegetable unto themselves, and are treasured. In France, they are known as “the poor man’s asparagus.” While I can see the comparison – both can have a silky texture and subtle earthy flavor – I think leeks are “noble” enough to stand on their own merits. Leeks have been used in cuisine for centuries, with records of them being used by Egyptians dating back as far back as 2000 BCE.

Leeks are the subtlest of the alliums. Where onions can have a pronounced flavor, leeks add that allium “funk” quietly, without a lot of sweetness. The mellow quality of leeks helps to round out other flavors in a dish, brightening flavors without overwhelming the dish. When preparing cold weather meals where the flavors are deeper and less vibrant than warm weather cuisine, leeks shine. For braises and roasts, leeks provide balance in the dish. Leeks also make for great appetizers as crostini or little pizzas.