Radically Radish!

Is there any more springlike veggie than the first cheerful bunches of radishes?  Shiny red and white packaged promises of all the veggies to come! It's better than Christmas!

Radishes are one of the earliest spring planted veggies we can bring to market and well today - we are bringing them IN FORCE to the Coupeville market (one more week til the first Bayview market on April 30th)!  And let us assure you, there is nothing quite as good as young, tender early spring radishes.  In fact, this farmer isn't even all that fond of radishes but I still love the early ones.  Especially the French Breakfast radish - a gorgeous elongated red with white pointy top radish.  Apparently so good, that the French even eat them for breakfast! 
In honor of our first lovely crop of tender spring radishes, we found this great recipe which really highlights the joys of crisp young radishes with butter and salt.  Oh heaven...

Spring Radishes with Flavored Butters and Salt

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

• 2.5 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
• 24 French Breakfast radishes trimmed

Directions

1. Toast fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan continuously, until aromatic, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder; grind until seeds are no longer coarse. Repeat with cumin seeds.
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir ground fennel seeds into 1/2 cup coarse salt; transfer to a small serving bowl. Wipe out mixing bowl, then mix ground cumin seeds into 1/2 cup coarse salt; transfer to another small serving bowl. Wipe out mixing bowl, then stir paprika and cayenne pepper into 1/2 cup coarse salt; transfer to a third serving bowl.
3. Arrange radishes on a serving platter. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup salt into another serving bowl. Transfer softened butter to a slightly larger bowl. Serve.

Along with radishes we have, of course, LOTS more veggies to be delighting you on this beautiful SUNNY AND WARM pre-Easter day.  So come on down and check out the offerings...
From Willowood Farm:
* Mesclun (this is a new crop planting and is amazingly tender and tasty)
* Baby Bibb Head Lettuce
* Collard bunches
* Chard bunches
* Braising greens mix
*Potato 2 lb bags
* Peregion and Black Coco dry beans
* Nettles (yes, we have recipes too!)
* Arugula
* Carrot bunches
* French Breakfast and Cherry Belle radish bunches

From our farmer friends and neighbors Prairie Bottom Farm:
* Leeks
* Carrots
* Walking Onions
* Beets
* Green Garlic
* Spinach
* Chives
* Rockwell Beans

In addition, there will be some special offerings on dry bean bags today - Rockwell and Peregion beans will be on sale!  So come on down for an extra special savings on our local dry bean selection!

Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie
P.S.  Thanks to all our loyal customers at the Coupeville market this past month.  We have set sales records EVERY SINGLE WEEK and are SO super excited about the huge demand for local food that is starting this year.  It is a fabulous, fabulous thing!  So as we say, you keep eating, we'll keep growing!