As the growing season enters the early fall season a few exotic vegetables begin to appear among farmers markets, like the Watermelon Radish found recently at Lakeside farmers Market in Greenwood Lake this past weekend.
The Watermelon Radish, “Raphanus sativus,” is a larger radish that is white with pale green shoulders on the outside and when you cut it in half, resembles a watermelon. Watermelon radishes, according to TheKitchn.com “are an heirloom variety of daikon radishes and originated in China, where they are called shinrimei. They’re a root vegetable and member of the Brassica family, which also includes arugula, broccoli, and cabbage.” What’s unique about these vegetables is their outer shell color and their inner colors, sort of the opposite of what you would expect from the usual radishes (red exterior with a white interior). Like their cousins they are crisp in texture with a slightly peppery but with a slightly sweet aftertaste.
Jeanine Donofrio, creator, author & recipe developer, loves to cook with watermelon radishes and suggests the following:
- Adding them to a salad, bowl, or sandwich for color and crunch.
- Toss cubed watermelon radishes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them at 425°F for 10-20 minutes for a quick and easy side dish.
- Pile pickled watermelon radishes on tacos or veggie burgers for a bright pop of flavor.
- Or add raw watermelon radishes to a crudité platter. Thinly sliced, they’re great for scooping up dips like hummus or tzatziki.
J&A Farms, Goshen, fills its bins with many vegetables that like slightly cooler weather at this time of the year, like the Delicata and Honey Nut squash varieties, with their identifiable stripes. The variety is often nicknamed the “sweet potato squash,” because of its sweet, smooth center, and when placed in the oven or on medium heat in a skillet, caramelizes quite well. It features a smaller size than some of the other varieties and has a very tasty and edible skin that keeps you from having to peel it. In fact, keeping the skin on enhances its flavor! Slice it lengthwise then in cross sections, seasoning it with a good quality Olive Oil (check out Warwick Valley Olive Oil), and your favorite seasoning (nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, etc.), then bake it in the oven at around 400˚ F for about 25 minutes or until it’s golden brown in color.
Lakeside Farmers Market, open every Saturday from 9AM-1PM, can be found on Windermere Ave., adjacent to the soccer field at Winstanley Park. And if you time it right you can probably find some samples of some freshly baked muffins and other baked goods from the Laker Baker, Heather Bradford. To discover more about the market, click on GWLNY.org
Photo credits: Peter Lyons Hall
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