Only a month after planting, I’m already harvesting a beautiful crop of radishes. In many ways, radishes are an ideal crop. They germinate and mature quickly, and they grow wonderfully in association with carrots. Their emerging stems and leaves soften up the soil for the later germinating carrots, and once they are ready for harvest the carrot plants are just beginning to require the extra space that will soon be liberated by harvesting the radishes.

It is important to harvest radishes at the right moment. Because they mature so quickly, the temptation is often to leave them in the ground for too long, making them vulnerable to attack by insects which will bore holes into the tuber and ruin its “store-bought” quality.

Now that we have such an abundant supply of radishes, I’ve been on the hunt for recipes. After all, a raw radish has a strong, pungent flavor and can only be eaten in small doses, on salads or in hamburgers. However, I’ve found a great selection of radish recipes on Food Down Under. Thus far, we’ve tried #9: Baked Radishes. The verdict? Delicious, even to those who aren’t big fans of raw radishes. Next I’m going to try pickling them.