Beni Shigure Daikon Salads

Cold-weather cultures the world over love winter radishes not only for their hardiness, but also for their beauty and important nutritional profiles. Heirloom daikon like these Beni Shigure radishes contain 25% of the RDA for vitamin C, and are also high in flavonoids and the cancer-fighting antioxidant sulforaphane. At our house, we love to eat them raw. 

Shredded Winter Radish Salad

3/4 pound purple daikon (or any winter radish) 

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons EVOO

1/2 teaspoon salt

Rinse the radishes, but don't bother to peel them. All the vegetables from our farm have never been sprayed with anything toxic. Shred them on a box grater or with a food processor, and toss with the simple vinaigrette above. Enjoy with roast pork, in an Asian noodle bowl, or gracefully topping a cracker and cream cheese. (Above, top left.) 

Purple Daikon Crudite

3/4 pound purple daikon (or any winter radish) 

a pinch of nice salt (our Green Salt is pictured above)

Hummus, herbed soft cheese, or your dip of choice

Rinse the vegetables, but again, we never peel anything if it grew at our farm. Slice them in half (Prime Meridian, not equator) and then make long, thin cuts. Salt and enjoy. Your favorite dip just got favoriter, didn't it?  (Above, at center.)