First of Summer Amuse Bouche

Radishes have always represented the first of summer to me, as well as instant gratification.  It's been years and years since I have grown a radish, but I seem to recall that, as a child, they were the first vegetable available for eating in the garden.  It seemed as thought their little red heads were visible above the soil - signaling their readiness for picking - only two weeks after planting.  I realize now this is impossible, of course, but I still love radishes.  Growing up, they were frequently presented on the dinner table in a bowl of water - dip in salt and savor the sharp bite!  I like them also in the French manner, when I can spare the calories of a good slather of butter (which is rarely).  The butter adds a nice fattiness to compliment the bitterness, and the salt brings out the moisture and natural sugars in the radish (okay, I made that last part up, but salt does have a natural ability to sweeten things that are bitter).

First of Summer Amuse Bouche

Slice a baguette in thin slices, smear with good-quality butter (I like Amish butter or the pleasantly salty President butter), add thinly sliced radishes and sprinkle with salt (I used Murray River Salt Flakes).  Eat, repeat throughout radish season.  Which is long.

Local Sources:

Baguette from Eleni Christina (my favorite baguettes in town) (641 N. High St, store faces Russel Street)

Butter - Amish and President - available at Weiland's and the Anderson's General Store

Murray River Salt Flakes - available at Weiland's

Radishes from Elizabeth Telling Farm CSA, surely available widely very soon at a Farmer's Market Near you.