I love it when I find a new way to cook an old favorite.  I have been seeing radishes in my market basket almost weekly for the past couple of months.  For the most part I just pop them in my mouth and eat them as a snack – although sometimes when I am really in the mood for something special, I thinly slice them and place them on some French bread with butter – then I sprinkle some sea salt on top.  Yum.  It really doesn’t get any better than that.  That was before I realized that you could actually cook them…

When I saw the recipe in my market basket for the first time, I must admit I was skeptical.  I couldn’t imagine that they would taste good cooked – boy was I wrong.  Cooking radishes takes the bite out of them.  They are left with a wonderful flavor and an even better texture.  You can still taste the water inside of them, as they burst in your mouth.  This recipe really took them to another level though.  The mint really brought out the deep flavor of the radishes, and because I had some fresh peas to use, and peas are amazing with mint – I thought they would go well.  Oh did they ever.  I quickly ran outside to photograph since I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.  And hey, not only were they delicious, the colors were beautiful.  Bonus.

Ingredients

• 1 pound radishes, trimmed and cut into wedges
• 1 cup fresh shelled peas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons mint, chopped
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method:

Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Let butter melt and then cook a bit longer, until it’s a deep golden and beginning to take on a nutty smell, about 2 minutes total.

Add radishes and peas to pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing frequently, until radishes are tender and tinged with caramelization in places. Let cool slightly and sprinkle with mint and additional salt to taste.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Sauteed Radishes with Peas and Mint