Greetings CSA Members!
We hope you’ve been enjoying the fall weather (when it’s sunny out!) and the peak autumn foliage colors. It’s been a gorgeous show to observe up here in the Driftless….
For this week’s CSA share, you can expect:
- Green Peppers
- Spinach
- Watermelon Radish New!
- Acorn Squash
- Purple Potatoes
- Parsley
- Mixed Orange and Yellow Carrots
- Cabbage
- Sweet Onions
- Red Onions
- Garlic
For this share you’ll be seeing the return of some delicious favorites from the past — like Adirondack blue potatoes (though they look purple to most people), spinach, and (yay!) tasty carrots!
We’ll also be introducing you to the wonderful watermelon radish (also called “beauty heart” radish) this week too, a veggie that is both beautiful and delectable.
This lineup of produce we think will be perfect for getting those “autumnal” recipes going! Soups, stews, roasted root and squash medleys…if you have your own favorite recipes to share, we’d love to hear about them. (Someday, we hope to index a lot of our own favorite recipes here on our website, too!)
Watermelon Radishes | Explanation & Tips
Watermelon radishes are no doubt one of the top vegetables we look forward to in the fall. They’re a perfect addition to fall recipes and are very tasty, they last a long time…and they’re also some serious eye-candy.
Lots of people who come to our farmers market stand in Dubuque on Saturdays eye these roots and say “Turnips, right?” Our stock answer is of course “No – they’re arguably better. They’re watermelon radishes!” But in reality, another good answer would be “Kinda – yes!”
We then explain to them that yes, they kind of do look like turnips on the outside. But, after you slice them open (like above), they have gorgeous fuchsia-pink red flesh (giving the radish its name).
What’s wonderful about watermelon radishes (and winter radishes in general, the category watermelon radishes belong to – along with daikon radishes too!) is that you can use them either like a spring radish (fresh in salads) but also just like a turnip (roasted, cooked, boiled). With winter radishes, it’s like you get the best of both worlds– plus, they last a long time in storage through the cold months, just like a turnip or rutabaga. In some ways, they’re flavor is similar to a turnip – but notably less “creamy” and more “crisp.”
It’s true that many winter radishes can have some “spice” to them. Watermelon radishes fortunately tend to have the least heat of all, but if you don’t enjoy that heat, roasting and cooking them in any way completely obliterates it.
If you don’t mind some heat, we’re huge fans of cutting these radishes into matchsticks and mixing them into a salad — or, making them into a slaw with other tasty root vegetables like carrots and kale!
Need more winter radish (or watermelon radish) recipe ideas? Feel free to email us directly! | jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com
