Radishes & Butter

I planted, spoke to, watered, and harvested these French breakfast radishes. It was the first real harvest I have had other than the odd tomato and herbs out of containers. I grew these radishes from honest to goodness raised beds that my husband and I installed together in an afternoon. It was so damn cool to finally be able to do the things I have known all too well about for years. My background is in plant and soil science, I worked at a nursery for 6 years and I was all about landscape design. I have given so much advice and know-how to so many people, and it felt great to be on the other side of it this year, especially after being in our home for a full year. I had no idea how to choose what I wanted to grow or how much of it. So I just picked stuff I like and grew a few rows of each. It takes years to figure out what you like, how much you need, and if you're good at growing it. I am ridiculously happy to know I'll be "struggling" to make these choices every year.

Radishes and butter are a big deal. A big deal because they taste really good together. If you don't know what the big deal is, you better dredge a radish through some butter, dust a smidge of salt on it and experience the moment. When I saw this recipe a year ago, I new I had to make it because it has a tiny twist that makes it quite unique, and that kind of stuff is always up my alley.

Herb salt...why not use this on practically everything? And manipulating butter into shapes is just plain brilliant, any shape like butter balls, triangles, knobs, whole cow sculptures even, and long logs like chevre. When I saw butter piped into little spirals down the length of a breakfast radish, I knew I had to make it on this account alone. And I nearly ate the entire plate of them.

Radishes & Butter with Herb Salt

adapted from Gourmet Traveller

vegetable oil for shallow frying

1/2 Tbsp each of fresh thyme, sage, basil and rosemary (all roughly chopped)

2 Tbsp sea salt flakes

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter (more or less)

1 bunch French breakfast radishes, (normal round ones are cute too!)

Heat the vegetable oil over medium/high heat. Add the herbs and fry until crisp (1-2 minutes). They retain their green color, it's very cool. Strain through a sieve and discard the oil. Put salt and herbs into mortar and pestle and pound until coarsely ground. Place in a little bowl.

Beat the butter with a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. You want it to be very soft, almost like icing. Use a piping bag and pipe the butter onto the radishes. The butter will stick to the radishes best if they are room temperature and not wet. Use a paper towel to dab each radish before piping the butter, you'll be happy you did:) Serve with the herb salt.