Radishes!!!!

So, I have started listening to this new (for me) pod cast: Chef SmartyPants.  Imagine Alton Brown (who, by the way, is my hero), only a chick, and with NPR voice.  I've been listening from the beginning, and one of her early podcasts was on radishes.  It made me want radishes.  Which is good, because usually when I crave a food it's food that is very difficult and/or impossible to come by.  For example: PF Chang's Singapore Street Noodles.  Or seaweed salad.  Not things that I can go pull out of my back yard.  Completely the opposite of radishes, which I CAN go pull out of my backyard.  Yay!! 

Before my dad totally freaks out, I should acknowledge that I only learned to like radishes last year.  Yes, I used to hate them.  Now I like them.  My palate changed as I got older; you were right; I admit it; get over it and move on.

I've been eating radishes right out of the garden as fast as I can, but there are really just to many.  I don't generally like pickled things that aren't pickles, but you can't really freeze a radish, so I decided try to do something with them.  I am confident that these will not be my only foray into preserving this summer.  I am getting ready to do something with my strawberries.  If everything goes right, I should have a bumper crop of strawberries very soon.

Pickled Radishes:

• 1/2 bulb garlic (L)
• One dozen radishes (L*)
• 1/2 cup champagne vinigar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinigar
• 1/4 cup honey (L)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds

Remove paper from garlic, leaving the cloves as whole as possible.  Blanch garlic in boiling water until soft, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

Meanwhile, wash radishes and cut off green leaves leaving just a small stem.

Combine all other ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Pack radishes into a small jar, just big enough to hold them.  Pour brine over radishes.  Allow to cool, then refrigerate.

I actually made these on Sunday and let them soak until today (Thursday).  They are good, but not everything I want them to be.  They are too sweet, and not spicy enough.  As this was my first pickling adventure, I expected that changes might me needed and only made one jar.  Next time I'm going to add some spicier spices. The thing I like best about them is they're just so pretty.