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!

Radishes, radishes, radishes EVERYWHERE!

Looking for some radishes? Well look no further, Willowood Farm is BRINGING THE RADISHES to market in Coupeville today!

This lovely mild temperatures, combined with nice warm spring rain, plus the two 300 feet double rows we planted, has combined to create a gorgeous crop of lovely spring radishes.  Radishes are really best in the spring and fall, cool, wet weather combines to create lovely roots that are juicy, crunchy and neither too hot or too sweet.  You can be like farm mom Renee, and "just eat them" or you can be more creative.  There are actually, a lot of great things to do with radishes.  Lots of folks swear by "radishes and butter" sandwiches.  Here are a couple of recipes we found particularly radically radishy...

Roasted Radishes with Soy Sauce and Toasted Sesame Seed(Makes 3-4 servings)

20 medium radishes, trimmed and cut into fourths (any radishes work, mixed colors are pretty!)
1 1/2 T roasted peanut oil
1-2 T soy sauce (I used about 1 1/2 T)
2 green onions (scallions) sliced thin
1 T sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan

Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash radishes, trim ends, peel if needed, and cut into same size pieces. I cut the white icicle radishes into diagonal pieces, and the red ones into half or fourths, depending on how big they were. Cut green onions into thin slices.

Toss radishes with peanut oil, then roast about 20 minutes, stirring one or two times. When radishes are tender and starting to brown, remove from oven, toss with soy sauce to coat and mix in green onion slices. Put back in oven and roast about 5 minutes more.

During final five minutes roasting time, put the sesame seed in a dry pan and toast over hot stove for about 2 minutes, or until starting to brown. Remove radishes from oven, place in serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot.

YUMMY!
Or...have you ever tried pickled radishes????? 

QUICK PICKLED RADISHES.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch radishes (about 13 radishes)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow or brown mustard seed
  
• 1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seed
  
• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 medium dried bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse radishes and trim off their leafy tops. Holding the stem end, thinly slice radishes with a mandoline or a sharp knife. When you get close to the stem, stop slicing and discard the end. Place radishes in a heatproof, nonreactive bowl, and set in the refrigerator while making the brine.
2. Combine red wine vinegar, sugar, water, salt, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and let pickling brine cool for about 5 minutes. Remove radishes from the refrigerator and pour brine over them. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes; cover and refrigerate. Use to top burgers, sandwiches, or anything else that needs a little tarting up.  

 So, we hope to see you today!  Willowood Farm will be with our farmer-partners Prairie Bottom Farm at the Coupeville Market today, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m...Look for the great tractor/wagon displaying bursting with food.  Of course, we are  bring lots more than just radishes including:
* Mesclun
* Arugula
* Braising green bunches (with kale, raab and mustards!)
* Mache (just featured in Martha Stewart Living!)
* Head Lettuce - baby butterheads and some gorgeous, getting big, leaf types!
* Radishes! French Breakfast, Cherry Belle, Plum Purple and Zlata types. A rainbow of colors!
From Prairie Bottom Farm -
* Overwintered scallions
* Chives
* Parsnips
* Wild Arugula bunches
* Green and Red spinach
 AND MORE!!!!!
So we hope to see you at market today!  Southenders...we know the Bayview Market is open today but due to scheduling conflicts we won't be starting til May 8th.  Sorry!
And on a final note, we are planting potatoes at the farm today!  If you are interested in helping out, put on your boots and head on down to the farm. 10-4, with a lunch break.  399 S. Ebey Rd in Coupeville. 
Thanks for eating local!
Farmer Georgie

Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie