Cheese

Triple Radish Yum

March 27, 2011
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This dish combines roasted daikon and watermelon radishes with a tangy chèvre horseradish dressing. The roasted radishes are sweet with just a hint of bitter. The dressing is a great counterbalance of tangy and spicy. If you cannot find watermelon radishes you can use regular cut into halves or quarters instead - you will need enough to be about equal in amount to the daikon. —hardlikearmour

Test Kitchen Notes

Radishes, on my dinner table were normally a garnish or a fresh, crisp vegetable to color the salad bowl. With this recipe, I found that Daikons and other radishes are lovely roasted -- roasting concentrates flavor bringing out an earthy taste. This recipe makes a warm side dish that remains pleasantly crisp, with a creamy chèvre horse radish dressing, adding the perfect triple-radish tangy kick. Watermelon radishes were not to be found, so per hardlikearmour’s head note I purchased some beautiful organic cherry belle, a red spring radish, and then followed her easy recipe, as written. I am looking forward to finding and roasting watermelon radishes, someday. I served the radishes, slightly cooled, over a chopped romaine leaf with slices of sirloin steak. This recipe makes an excellent side dish for a meat entre (the horse radish dressing paired beautifully). Truly a radish lover’s delight, times three! —lapadia

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Ingredients
  • Roasted Radishes
  • 3 large watermelon radishes (about 2 1/2- to 3-inch diameter)
  • 1 daikon radish (about 1 & 1/4 lbs)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Chèvre Horseradish Dressing
  • fresh horseradish
  • zest from 1/2 of a lemon
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chèvre
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400º F, with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with a light coat of cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Remove ends and peel radishes. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Cut each half-moon slice into halves or thirds as needed to maintain fairly evenly sized pieces. The narrower end of the daikon may be left in half moons.
  3. Toss radish pieces with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to coat evenly. Distribute the radish pieces in an even layer on the baking sheet. (Set bowl aside.) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Radishes should have some browning, and retain some firmness when they are done.
  4. While radishes are roasting, grate about 2 to 3 packed tablespoons worth of fresh horseradish using a microplane. Thoroughly combine 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of the grated horseradish with the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, chèvre, and 1/8th teaspoon salt in the reserved bowl. Taste, and if the horseradish flavor is not strong enough add more.
  5. Once radishes have finished roasting, transfer them to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat. Taste and add salt if needed. Transfer to serving bowl and grind some fresh black pepper over the top. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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I am an amateur baker and cake decorator. I enjoy cooking, as well as eating and feeding others. I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband and our menagerie. I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, mushroom hunting, tide pooling, beach combing, and snowboarding.

22 Reviews

Carolina February 16, 2013
Yay! Something for the two things from the farm box that tend to linger after everything else has been eaten!
hardlikearmour February 16, 2013
I hope you give it a try!
Carolina February 20, 2013
I used prepared horseradish, but this was fantastic! (My husband is a little like "Mikey" when it comes to the more anachronistic vegetables, but he ate his share). I had about 7 giant watermelon radishes plus one humongous Korean daikon—they will never shrivel in the drawer again! Went perfect with steak.
hardlikearmour February 23, 2013
That's great news! I love how gorgeous watermelon radishes are, and the use of prepared horseradish is a great time saver.
petitbleu December 3, 2012
Watermelon radishes are a sight for sore eyes! Especially when it seems that nothing vibrant is in season. They're also great winter storage radishes, so gardeners take note (in many seed catalogues they're referred to as "Misato Rose" radishes).
BoulderGalinTokyo April 4, 2012
HLA, love the title, love the picture, love that after cooking daikon for over 35 years, you have bean sprouted the idea of Roasting them! Thank you so much. And if it's not too much trouble, next time you cook this, could you please take a picture of 'watermelon radishes' and post it?
hardlikearmour April 4, 2012
Thanks, BGT. I love roasted radishes, including daikon. I can't always find watermelon radishes, so it may be awhile before I use them again. Here's a link with a nice photo of them: http://www.thekitchn.com/ingredient-spotlight-watermelo-106793
BoulderGalinTokyo September 9, 2012
HLA, thank you for the link. Always learning so much from this site and the wonderful people who share!
Bevi September 22, 2011
This sounds scrumptious!
TiggyBee March 28, 2011
These look like a million bucks of real money. Love.
hardlikearmour March 28, 2011
thanks, TB! The watermelon radishes are gorgeous.
luvcookbooks March 28, 2011
since the radish contest I have been collecting and cooking radish recipes, this is going into the saved file! Thanks.
hardlikearmour March 28, 2011
Thanks! I'd love your feed back if you get a chance to try it. I've only recently discovered the beauty of roasting radishes, and I really love them.
Sagegreen March 28, 2011
This looks great. I think I would even like real watermelon with it in the summer.
hardlikearmour March 28, 2011
I think it would work with watermelon, great idea!!
drbabs March 28, 2011
Another great recipe!
hardlikearmour March 28, 2011
Thanks, drbabs!
gingerroot March 28, 2011
YUM! I love roasted radishes and bet they are delicious with your horseradish-chèvre dressing. Can't wait to try this, if I can ever source some fresh horseradish here.
hardlikearmour March 28, 2011
You could sub prepared horseradish, but will likely need to increase the amount. I'd also hold off on the lemon juice & maybe increase the zest as the prepared horseradish has vinegar in it.
TheWimpyVegetarian March 27, 2011
Great idea! And now I need to try both with my radishes!
TheWimpyVegetarian March 27, 2011
Fabulous! I've only got some regular radishes in the frig right now, but I've got everything else. Would this work?
hardlikearmour March 27, 2011
Yes. I ended up with about half daikon and half watermelon. I bet it would be great with your horseradish apple topping instead of the dressing, too!