Day 52: Just-Picked Radishes & Spring Onions

Radishes and spring onions from the farmers market (that's kohlrabi on the right for another night this week)Tonight was an adventure in raw food, graceful lengths of rose-colored radish and thick bulbs of spring onion.

Both were locally grown and purchased at Soulard Market, St. Louis' old farmers market. There are newer and closer (and more fru-fru, hmmmm, how exactly does one spell fru-fru?) markets with organic eggs and bison meat and omelets made to order. But Soulard -- one of the few places where city folks and suburbanites mingle, where you'll hear a half dozen languages in a half hour, where the chickens and ducks are sold live -- remains my favorite.

Radishes and green onions -- new vegetables? Of course not.

But for the first time, I paid attention, close attention. What did they really look like? smell like? taste like? What was the texture? the lingering taste? What happened with the Asian Dip leftover from the other night? A smear of butter?

JUST-PICKED RADISHES & SPRING ONIONS
Time to table: 5 minutes
Time to enjoy:
Serves 4


about 8 radish lengths
about 4 spring onions (also called green onions)
time to experiment, experience, savor

Clean vegetables well, leaving leaves attached to radishes. Arrange artfully on individual plates or a serving platter. Examine each vegetable, take a small nibble, consider its taste and texture, scent and sensation. Dip each vegetable in a dip of some sort or smear with a bit of butter. Taste and consider again. Dip each vegetable in a good salt. Taste and consider again. Repeat.
Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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