Radishes are rad

This year we decided to direct-sow radishes.  We interplanted them with lettuces, kale, spinach, and peas.  Radishes are an early harvest so we knew we would clear bed space for the other crops.  

Mike took this ground level shot of the baby plant forest.

Radishes almost harvest themselves.  They begin to "shoulder" or let some of the firm, root body emerge above the soil line.  They grow in a variety of shapes and colors, but are usually pretty simple to gently draw from the earth.

Kevin cleared a ton of bed space when he harvested our crop last night.

He immediately made a raw radish and radish green salad, dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and herbs.  The 5-gallon bucket in front of him is filled with radishes.  To make the most of the harvest, we stole another idea from Mike and made several batches of radish kimchi, a fermented Korean side dish.  The kimchi can become a garnish or addition to sandwiches and salads.  There are a ton of radish greens that didn't make their way into the kimchi.  I plant to dice the greens and include them in stir-fries, pastas, salads, and pestos.

Happy harvesting!