Radishes are one of the fastest ripening crops a gardener can plant. If you’re aching to have something – anything – that you grew yourself on the dinner table, radishes are a good starting place. But don’t stop at eating the rosy roots. I discovered several of years ago that the radish greens are edible too. (I have no idea how I grew up without knowing this!)
Plant radishes as soon as your ground can be worked, and they’ll be ready in just 3-4 weeks. You can plant radishes all summer long, and even into cooler autumn weather. Just plant a new row every couple of weeks and you’ll have radishes and radish greens ready to harvest all season long.
My colleague, April Paffrath, shared a recipe for radish leaf pesto at Wicked Tasty Harvest and I’ve been hooked ever since. Spicier than pesto made with basil leaves, radish leaf pesto is a fabulous way to stretch the harvest from an early spring garden. I serve it over pasta, and my kids love to spread it on crackers or in mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s a nice, flavorful addition to your favorite panini sandwich, too. It has a tendency to maintain its bright green hue without discoloring like traditional pesto does, so it’s a nice bet for a pretty springtime appetizer, too.
If you know me at all, you know that I didn’t make this without modifying April’s recipe just a bit. Here’s my version:
Radish Greens as Pesto
- Radish greens (about 3 cups or two bunches)
- 2 big cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese
- small handful of fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
- pinch of sea salt
Thoroughly wash and dry radish greens. Remove woody stems and put in blender or food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Easy, peasy.
I wasn’t sure about planting a container garden on my apartment balcony this year, but now I want to try this! Good inspiration. Thanks!
Knowing that you can eat both the roots and the tops kind of doubles their value, doesn’t it?
My husband has a produce job and says he tells customers that radish leaves are similar to arugula – the peppery bite – and many cruciferous vegetables have that same quality. Not all of these would make good pesto, of course. Our community garden plot doesn’t get plowed in time for a real “early” spring garden up here in upstate NY. Radishes are a good crop because you can plant them at various times during the gardening season if your soil isn’t too hot. I had stopped growing them but may try this out. Thanks for sharing!
I love radishes, I grow them every year I have a garden. I had no idea about the leaves. Thanks for this post.
Thanks fro sharing this at Simple Lives Thursday, I just got some radishes from my local farmer and now I have a great use for the leaves thanks to you.
Have a happy day!
Mely
Goodness, look at that color! I’m going to try this when our radishes come in. Yumm!
cool! I didn’t know you could eat the leaves! that’s a great idea! I love pesto, and I like experimenting with the herbs/leaves that go into it so this sounds like a great idea (:
http://mummyicancook.blogspot.com/2011/03/panfried-shrimps-with-glass-noodles-in.html
I’m most def gonna serve this at my farm party this weekend!
I know it may be a shock to some of you that until this year – I never planted a garden! Now that being said, I did grow up in a family that always had gardens…both at my grandparents house and my own…..but I personally have never put in a garden – until this year! Having just completed the digging and the hauling of compost and the buying of the plants and seeds….I am having a grand time getting my feet and hands dirty and have high hopes of living well during the season of my garden! I do have to share, though, that I didn’t plant radishes this year – but did have the neighbor bring me some and they were so large I thought they were beets – until I cut them open and realized they were not! And…I remember my grandfather slicing his large radishes and frying them as one would do to garlic…in olive oil slowly! I did that with the batch brought me the other day and OMG…they are divine fixed that way! I believe you could even fry them a bit more and put them into salad the way people do fried onions! Try it…you my like it! And yes as well to the greens….try them with balsamic vinegar or on top of your white pizza! Yum….yum!
and i have been feeding them to the rabbits!
How beautiful! I’ve made arugula pesto before but had never thought of using radish leaves… Mahalo nui!
Cilantro is really good for you and must improve the flavor. I like radish sprouts and cannot wait to try radish leaf pesto. Thanks!
I always use them in my whole juicing. I will have to try this. I have some growing in my basement right now 🙂
Love the sound and idea of this — look forward to giving it a whirl — would never have occurred to me.
The rabbits might have to start sharing with you!
That looks delicious! Fantastic color!
I use my cilantro stems to do the same thing….cilantro pesto, vegan, with walnuts and a cilantro ranch dressing w/ veganaise mayo. yummy and no waste. hated throwing these bright green stems in compost. worms ate them. haha. also, you can freeze them and they will still work in pesto and dressing when you have time to make.
I made some yesterday but added spinach to the mix to add additional nutrients, color and flavor.
What a vibrant green color!! I can’t wait to make this!
Just off to plant some radish!
I have radishes coming up now! Thanks for the reminder to save the greens!
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Brilliant!
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I was making roasted radishes the other day and wondered if I could do something with the greens. I didn’t have time to go searching for a recipe so just composted them. Next time I have radishes I’m definitely going to try this!
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Thanks for the recipe! I knew radish greens were edible, but had no idea what to make with them. Getting ready to put some radish seeds in the garden this weekend and see what comes up. If all goes well, it’s radish pesto in a month!
I love pesto…I’ll have to try this when my radishes come up in a few weeks (since the basil won’t be ready yet)!
Thanks for the pesto idea. I was going to pull all the beautiful tops that my rabbits have been sharing with the compost pile, now with me, if they get any more. Got hot in SWFL early this year so radishes went to tops. Love lg radishes sliced, boiled til tender, drain, add butter, salt & pepper.
This is quite inventive but I have a peevish question – what if, say, you really don’t like radishes much? Will you, picky person that you are, still think this is good? Or should you stick with basil pesto?