Grilled Gruyere and Radish Sandwich

My husband is a radish fiend. For three years I have brought them home from the market nearly every weekend that they are available, and he never tires of them. This time of year, Kyle is in radish and greens heaven, and I am constantly trying to find new ways to prepare both. We have always eaten radishes raw, so last week I roasted a bunch of French breakfast radishes with carrots – big win! I highly recommend it. This week, I got home from the market and immediately dumped my purchases out and searched for lunch inspiration.

This week at the South of the James farmers’ market, I picked up Agriberry strawberries, Norma’s Produce baby yellow squash, Norwood Cottage craisin bread, Crumptown Farm Tokyo Bekana (a new-to-me green!), Walnut Hill Farm turnips (with bonus greens – two vegetables for the price of one!), Bella Grove purple radishes, and Broadfork Farm dill. Our cluster of radishes was small and it was calling my name. It was a little cool outside that day, and I thought grilled cheese sounded pretty good. I decided to add some sliced radishes to our grilled cheese sandwiches to provide a little crunch and flavor.

I used some smooth, nutty, Gruyere cheese that I had leftover from last week’s groceries, leftover spinach leaves, and thinly sliced spicy radishes, with a thin spread of Dijon mustard, sandwiched between two slices of Ellwood’s Bakery whole wheat bread, over-buttered and griddled to golden brown in a pan. I wasn’t planning on making these sandwiches for a post, but they turned out so well that I decided to take some photos and share the recipe with you. This is super simple, but a little different, so I thought it felt special. I served with a bowl of fresh strawberries and iced coffee. If we were having these for dinner, I would definitely serve with a glass of Syrah instead.

Sometimes the recipes you come up with on the fly, with the freshest local ingredients available, are the best ones. So, while you probably don’t need the instructions, I’m giving you a grilled cheese recipe. Enjoy!

Grilled Gruyere and Radish Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread (I used whole wheat)
1 ounce Gruyere cheese
2 small radishes, sliced
1/4 cup spinach leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Butter

Preparation:

Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Melt a dab of butter or oil in the pan to coat.
Butter one side of each slice of bread. Stack them with the buttered sides facing each other, On the top slice of bread, spread the Dijon mustard.
On top of the mustard, place the spinach, cheese, and radishes.
When the pan is hot, take the top slice of bread with its toppings and place it buttered side down in the pan. Top with the other slice of bread, butter side up.
Cook for 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Radish Salsa

I mentioned before that Kyle has been on a radish kick lately. I don’t know what got into him, but he has been all about the radishes for the last few weeks. He never used to touch them, until about a year ago when I threw some diced radishes on top of Cuban black beans and rice. Then he was hooked. Ever since he saw them at the farmers’ market 4 weeks ago, he has asked for them every week. I am running out of ideas for preparation, which can only mean one thing in my house. Desperation breeds creativity in the vegology kitchen. Having tossed them in salads and sandwiches for the last few weeks, I am ready to move on to something more challenging.

Not only do these root vegetables add color to the plate, but they also pack a good dose of nutrition for your body. Radishes are considered by many to be a superfood due to their high concentration of nutrients relative to calories. Radishes contain Vitamin C, zinc, folic acid, B-complex vitamins, and anthocyanins. They contain nutrients that help rebuild tissues and blood vessels, they have cancer-fighting properties and they can help decrease inflammation. Radishes are a natural diuretic, which can aid in fighting certain infections. They also have a good amount of fiber, which can improve digestion. Who could deny a loved one his radishes, after finding out how great they are for his health?

While brainstorming this weekend, I thought about our first positive experience with radishes. Diced and served fresh over spicy black beans and tender rice, radishes were a refreshing component of the meal. When paired with tender, sweet baby greens, radishes offer a pleasantly bitter complement to a salad that would otherwise be lacking a much needed edge. However, when paired with soft and spicy beans, the crisp radish seems milder in flavor, and it adds a refreshing crunch to the dish. Having recently had great success with black bean tacos and mango salsa, I decided to give the spring radish a new stage on which to shine. A corn tortilla, topped with spicy black beans and fresh mango with tiny flecks of minced jalapeño thrown in for good measure.

The mango isn’t local, but who could resist these tender juicy mangoes that are currently in season in Chiapas, Mexico? Perhaps a locavore purist could, but when I saw this new-to-me variety in the grocery store, I had to give it a try. The Champagne mango is very tender, deliciously fleshy, and super sweet. It’s basically my spirit animal, if spirit animals could actually be fruits. I read that these Mexican mangoes are more closely related to Indian mangoes than the more popular Tommy Atkins mango. I bet these would be a good weapon to have in your arsenal if you planned on tackling a mango chutney.

We added a little cheese to our tacos, but you could leave it out to make them vegan. We enjoyed these on a warm night on our back porch. The sounds of kids playing and dogs barking in the distance mingled with the natural chorus of wildlife in the woods right behind our house. The sun went down as we laughed and talked and wiped mango juice from our chins, as diced radish and cucumbers and tender black beans tumbled out of their soft taco shells and littered our plates. We had the awe-inspiring experience of watching a baby blue jay learn how to fly as we dined. We saw many crash landings and a few promising vertical flutters, before its parents swooped in at dusk and (I assume) vowed to try again tomorrow. We experienced the best of spring in one night during that meal, and I was really thankful that Kyle had convinced me (again) to pick up some radishes at the market. What is this season for, if not for trying new things?

Radish Salsa

Ingredients:

1 cup diced radish
1/2 cup peeled, diced cucumber
2 large scallions (or 3-4 small), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (less if you can’t take the heat)
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Store covered in refrigerator and serve cold.
Serve with chips, on black bean tacos, or on a salad or sandwich.

So Rad

I know, it’s probably weird. I had never bought radishes before. Is that weird? Do you buy radishes on the regular? I had never cooked with them before, until I recently picked some up at the farmers’ market. They are so adorable and healthy but I never think to incorporate them into my meal plans. Luckily. I had saved this one recipe that called for radishes for about 18 months. The magazine clipping was neatly tucked into my recipe binder and calling out to me for over a year. Consequently my desire to make Cuban black beans and rice was the impetus for my first radish purchase.

Radishes are members of the cruciferous vegetable family, along with broccoli, cabbage, kale and turnips. They are thought to have originated in China and were then brought to the Greek and Roman empires, where they were admired and used often. They were introduced to North America in the early to mid 1600’s. Today there are several different varieties, with the red or scarlet globe variety the most popular one in the United States.

Radishes are high in vitamin C and glucosinolates, which are compounds that act in the body to fight off carcinogens before they do damage to our cells. They are also a good source of potassium and water. Radishes aid in digestion because they are full of water and are considered an indigestible carbohydrate. They are popular among dieters because they give you the feeling of being full with a relatively low calorie content. Personally I just think they are crunchy and delicious. I wasn’t really a big fan before bringing them into my own kitchen, but now I am a believer.

I followed the recipe from Real Simple magazine for Cuban Black Beans and Rice almost exactly and this dish turned out to be quick, easy and very tasty. The only changes I made were substituting brown rice for white rice and adding a good amount of hot sauce (I blame Kyle for that habit).

I used the leftover radish pieces in a salad the next day and I tried slices in my veggie wrap later that week. I would like to try slices of fresh radish in a hot panini next time. And believe me – there will be a next time.

What ingredient have you been meaning to try? I challenge you to bring a new item that you have never bought before into your kitchen this week. Let me know how it goes!