Photo by katieharbath.

This time of year, the farmers market produce selection is a little sparse, you have your leafy greens (like nettles), asparagus, early strawberries, and lovely red radishes. I think, perhaps, radishes are looked over or seen only worthy as an occasional addition to salads. But really, there’s nothing better than fresh radishes in the spring.

Perhaps the most classically French, and most enjoyable way to eat radishes is thinly, thinly slicing the veggie and putting it a top well buttered French bread. A must finish is a healthy sprinkling of sea salt. This can be the perfect afternoon snack, appetizer while you’re cooking dinner, or a modified toast to start your day right. When slicing the radishes so thin, they loose their bite a bit and have a pleasant crunchiness that pairs so well with the creaminess of the butter, the crunchiness of bread, and the flaky saltiness of sea salt. Only a bonus is how simple and quick this snack is to throw together.

Another French preparation (those guys know what they’re doing when it comes to food) is to slowly roast the red vegetable with plenty of butter and salt until the radish becomes tender and all of its spiciness mellows out. Finish with some olive oil, and eat alone or on some more French bread, it is a whole other side of radish.

What else to do with these under-appreciated vegetables? Saute the green tops and enjoy like you would any other leafy green, add into tacos, grate into a slaw, pickle it into a salsa with lime and shallots. Pick up a bunch of radishes the next time your at the market, and appreciate this versatile vegetable.