Roasted Radishes with Browned Butter

After a couple of weeks of cool, rainy weather, including a night below freezing, I ventured around to the side yard where my onions and radishes are planted.

Yowza!  My self-watering planters were bursting with nearly overgrown English Breakfast radishes.

I pulled up a dozen or more, and brought them inside.  These blushing beauties were the first of my veggie garden harvest this year (besides some early spinach,) so I wanted to elevate them beyond the usual “sliced salad topping” treatment.

I decided to roast them, tops and all, and toss them with browned butter.  Yum.

There are many healthy reasons to eat radishes.  They are a good source of vitamin C, as well as detoxifying agents.

Radishes are part of the Brassicaceae family of vegetables.  These vegetables contain an anti-oxidant compound called sulforaphane. Studies suggest that sulforaphane has a proven role against prostate, breast, colon and ovarian cancers.  (It kills cancer cells.)

Ready to eat some radishes?

Roasted Radishes with Browned Butter

Ingredients

1 dozen radishes with fresh, green tops
cooking oil
1 Tbs. organic grass-fed butter
½ lemon
coarse sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut the green radish tops off, leaving about ¼-1/2 inch of green stem on the radishes. Wash the radishes and greens well, and dry in a salad spinner or towels.  Cut radishes in half lengthwise.

Brush some cooking oil onto a sheet pan, and set your radishes cut side down on the pan.  Place about half of the radish greens on the other half of the pan.  Drizzle some oil on the greens and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the sheet pan into the hot oven.  Toss and rearrange the greens every few minutes, and remove them when they are nicely wilted but still green.  Continue roasting the radishes for about a total of 20 minutes.

While radishes are roasting, heat butter until browned but not burned.  Pour butter over warm radishes and greens, then squeeze the juice of half a lemon over them and sprinkle on some coarse sea salt.  Toss to combine and serve.