BH recipes

Daikon Radish

A long white radish

 

Daikon is more versatile than it seems most people know.  It is a potent radish that is amazing for clearing out stagnation in your body.  Eaten raw is best, but if you find that too harsh steaming mellows out the bite. 

Storage and Preparation:

The roots are best stored at 32 degrees but will do fine in the veggie drawer of your refrigerator.  Daikon Radishes will store for up to 3-4 months in a plastic bag or bin.  Remove the greens before storing for an extended period of time.

Recipe Ideas:

• I use daikon a lot in miso soup. Chop it thin or chunky whatever you prefer. I add the daikon in at the time of the onions, or carrots and sauté them in oil before adding the water and miso.
• Daikon is nice when it is sliced into very thin strips (juliened or shredded).  This is a great way to eat it raw, on salads, in nori rolls or as a garnish.  I have also had amazing Vietnamese Hoagies made with tofu, topped with shredded carrots and daikon.
• I am told you can roast daikon and eat it as a sandwich with bread and butter.
• Don't forget to eat your greens.  Daikon Radish greens are supposed to be very good for the female reproductive system.  Use them any way you would other greens.  They are excellent raw in a salad or steamed.  Also, I have read that if you dry the greens and add them to a bath they are excellent for healing tissues after childbirth.

Radish Salad:

Radishes are great roasted as well as raw on a salad. When radishes are cooked they loose their heat. We grow salad radishes (small), daikon radishes (huge) and watermelon radishes (small daikons).  Radishes are eaten as their own salads in Japanese cuisine.

Here is a Japanese very simple radish salad:

1 bunch radishes, sliced or cut into matchsticks

2 tbspn rice or balsamic vinegar (or a combination of the 2)

1 tbspn soy sauce

1 tsp honey, maple syrup or agave nectar

2 teaspn sesame oil

1 cloves garlic chopped

I let this marinate for at least an hour before eating.  It is great served chilled or at room temperature.