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       Radishes

      There are two ways to look at radishes. The first is as one of life’s more pleasing incidentals, a healthy pre-meal nibble that goes on the table alongside a bowl of olives or crisps or tortilla chips or whatever it is that you present when friends come round to eat. The other is as proper vegetables. Both are valid.

      Crisp, peppery little summer radishes are indeed the perfect way to kick-start a meal, bold enough to set the gastric juices flowing, yet barely denting the appetite. They look handsome too, like miniature pink torpedoes, tipped in some instances with a flash of white. These small radishes are just the tip of the iceberg, however. Winter radishes are massive in comparison, and fiery in flavour. Look out for them in markets and farm shops – usually black-skinned and dusty with soil, chunky of girth, tapering to a point, like a shadowy parsnip or carrot. They can be eaten raw, but are not for the faint-hearted. Cooking subdues the peppery power, turning them into a pleasant, juicy vegetable, with a taste reminiscent of turnip minus the brassica tang of sulphur.

      Then there are the oriental radishes, typified by the incredibly lengthy, white-skinned mooli or daikon. If you have a yen for Japanese food, then this is the vegetable that is shredded into long crisp threads and piled alongside sushi and sashimi. It is believed to aid digestion, and is used widely throughout Japan. Though you are unlikely to find them in shops, other members of this group can be extraordinarily beautiful. They may not look anything special, but this is a beauty that is more than skin-deep. Cut them in half and you will reveal flashes and circles of stunning pink and purple in many different designs. Usually mild enough to use in salads, these are the radish supermodels. Like human supermodels they are rare and need to be nurtured and supported selflessly. In other words, you will probably have to grow your own, if you want a chance to discover the ultimate potential of the humble radish.

      Practicalities

      BUYING

      Flabbiness is as big a no-no for a radish as it is for a supermodel. Career

      ended just like that, new model steps in. The whole raison d’être for a radish is crispness and freshness and vitality. The peppery spice is the added bonus, and that too is spoiled by flabbiness, swiftly developing a nasty sulphurous undertow (radishes are related to cabbages and mustards). One good reason to buy small radishes in bunches is that the leaves give you an instant freshness reading. Do they look lively and bright? Or are they wilting and curling in on themselves? If the latter is the case, they are already past their zenith, heading down the road to flabby doldrums and perhaps there already. The big winter and oriental radishes are rarely sold with leaves, and have a far longer shelf life. They should still be firm, however, without signs of flab or bruising.

      COOKING

      Use up small radishes within a day or two of buying. To prepare, cut off the leaf (which can be cooked and eaten like spinach) and scrape away the papery flakes of skin around the stalk end. Rinse well and pop into a bowl of cold water. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat, then drain, dry and put out on the table. In France, they are accompanied by a pat of unsalted butter, and a little pot of coarse salt. Smeared with a dab of butter and dipped in salt they are extra good. Alternatively, mix crumbled flaky sea salt with crushed cumin and coriander and dip radishes into the mix to add extra savour.

      Small radishes also have a place in the salad bowl. Halve them or slice them, before scattering over fresh summer salads of all sorts. They are particularly good in a potato salad, instead of finely chopped onion, where they add a hint of fire and colour. To cook as a vegetable, either sauté or stir-fry, or braise whole in barely enough water or stock to cover, adding a knob of butter.

      The

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