Trip to Garden Shack farmers market yields new recipes

Earlier this week, the Cancer Support Community invited me to present a nutrition workshop on the early harvest at the area’s farmers markets. Since my favorite indoor market at the Cordrey Center has closed for the season and my favorite outdoor market in Lewes doesn’t open until tomorrow, we took a trip down Beaver Dam Road to the Garden Shack Farm.

We weren’t the only dedicated shoppers to brave the chilly drizzle in search of fresh produce. Vendors offered chubby stalks of local asparagus, green cardboard boxes brimming with strawberries and bunches of pink radishes. Not only was I set for my cooking demo, but we also brought home a beautiful wild-caught Alaskan salmon filet and a bag of gluten-free ginger cookies.

This market featured a surprising addition I hadn’t seen in other places: food trucks. Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen and SoDel Concepts both brought their signature menu items. The aromas of crab cakes and corned beef mixed with the fragrance of potted basil plants and lavender.

The market offers a wide variety of edibles and gift items each Thursday afternoon from 2 until 6 p.m.

For the demo, I organized in alphabetical order, starting with asparagus roasted in a little olive oil. Because the stalks were nice and thick (a sign the plant is mature) they handled roasting beautifully. I rounded out the recipe information with the vegetable’s impressive nutritional profile and a quote from Marcel Proust, who remarked that eating asparagus “transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume.”

Radishes were next on the agenda. Many of us assume the only use for radishes is to add color to a tossed salad or carve into rosettes to decorate a vegetable platter. Those familiar with the French Breakfast Radish know how delicious they are when grabbed by the stem, dunked in softened butter and rolled through fleur de sel. Sharp and crunchy, creamy and bright in a single bite.

Since there wasn’t much to demonstrate if I were to show how to make buttered radishes, I chose a different preparation: braised radishes. The process we call braising entails browning meat or vegetable or fruit very quickly under high heat, usually in a deep skillet. Then a splash of flavorful liquid is added and the pan is covered to simmer over a low heat until the ingredients are tender.

For the radishes, we started with melted butter to lightly brown one side of the halved root. The deglazing was accomplished with a mixture of Balsamic vinegar and orange juice. Under the pan’s lid, the liquids thickened into a jammy consistency while the radishes softened and lost their bite.

This preparation could be modified by adding carrot coins to braise along with the radishes or by replacing the orange juice with apple cider. The recipe calls for minced red onion, for which scallions, shallots or white onions could be substituted.

Since they germinate so swiftly and can be sowed in any season, you’ll find radishes early and often at the markets throughout the year. If you’re lucky enough to find a bunch with the green tops still attached, as in the photo, try sautéing the greens for a tasty side dish. And, if you take them home freshly picked, you’ll be surprised how juicy this pretty root can be.

Braised Radishes

1 T butter
1 red onion, minced
1 lb radishes, halved
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 C orange juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Place the radishes cut-side down in the pan in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown. Add the minced onion and cook another minute.

Add the balsamic vinegar and the juice - the liquid should just come up around the sides of the radishes. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the radishes are tender. Remove the lid and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced into a syrupy sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Stovetop Casserole

1 T olive oil
1 minced shallot
1 lb radishes, quartered
3 carrots, sliced
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C vegetable stock
1 lb ground beef
2 C baby spinach
1 pressed garlic clove
2 T Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, radishes and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the Worcestershire sauce and vegetable stock; cover and simmer over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the ground beef in a skillet until all traces of pink are gone, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon. Drain the excess fat from the beef and add to the pan with the shallot, radishes and carrots. Add the spinach, garlic and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine and cook until the spinach has wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.


Send comments, questions and recipe suggestions to capeflavors@comcast.net.