How to make Scrumptious Radish Sliders: addictive as all get-out!

radishers5

Radishes are one of those crops that I plant, harvest, and crunch down with joy like a hungry pig, for several weeks in the spring, and then forget. At that point, other garden crops take precedence, not to mention time and energy. Until now, that is. Until I discovered how addictive and delicious a good radish sandwich filling is. Let me share with you how this all came about, and then I’ll share my new favorite lunch recipe with you, because I love you all so much. You’re gonna love me for this, too, I can just taste it. 🙂

Taste the love: scrumptious radish sliders. Oh my goodness, I love these things so much.

Isn’t it amusing how sometimes several random and unrelated forces will converge to change your life–wellll, at least your lunch choices-–in a meaningful way? That’s how it is with this slider recipe.

This is how it came about. Four forces came together within a few hours of each other, and they determined the course of one day’s lunch. And my life? Changed. Forever.(To be completely and bone-tired honest, since we usually spend mornings outside working in the garden and yard, we usually drag in ravenous for lunch, and too spent to make anything fancier than a jaggedly-cut piece of toast with some limp cheese tiredly flopped on top. Seriously. Pitiful.)

Here were the forces:

1. I saw a post recently on soulemama about making a radish spread for toast, and it appealed to me in a big way. I craved it completely and fully after I saw that post. Imagine. Chopped up radishes and soft butter and a bit of lemon–eaten on bread? Yum.

2. I had a big pile of radishes in the ‘fridge to use up, and more in the hoop house that needed pulling, ah, right away. That’s the thing about radishes: they grow very quickly, are ready to eat all at once, and then overnight they turn into little round blocks of wood. Bitter wood. Bitter wood that even the chickens won’t eat. Truth.

3. Little Mack wanted bacon for lunch. Sheesh. Boys and bacon. What’s the deal? I had a pound of bacon in the freezer, so I stuck it in the ‘fridge and promised my little boy bacon. But for lunch, not for breakfast, because by the time he had his bacony thoughts, it was well past time for breakfast. But what goes with bacon? Well, okay, everything goes with bacon. Almost everything.

4. Mom gave me some delightful little buns that she had made, the day before, that were the perfect shape and size for some dainty little sliders. And everybody knows how delightful Mom’s buns are. 🙂 (Sorry, Mom, but you know it’s true!)

So, this thought permeated my brain: radish sliders with hot strips of bacon on the side. Oh yes. I thought about it all morning, as I slogged about, doing chores: Chopped radishes. Lots of butter. Add a few leaves, chopped up fine. Little buns with a tasty radish filling inside—toasted open-faced with parmesan cheese on top–broiled for a couple of minutes–oh, yess—maybe just a skiff of dijon mustard? Bacon on the side.) (That’s how my mind races when I’m hungry. And tired. And hungry. And indulging my little boy’s bacon longings.) So when lunchtime came, I trudged in from the garden, dumped another armload (yes, armload, you know that I garden big) of radishes into the sink and started washing and trimming them right away.

Then I put Mack’s bacon on to fry, mixed up the radish filling that I had been craving for so long–at least two days– spread it on Mom’s beautiful little buns, broiled them briefly (oh, so briefly), just long enough to toast the buns a bit and melt the parm, and then we ate them with the hot strips of bacon.

They were everything I had hoped for. Actually, even more. Delicious!

So easy, too! Check it out for yourself.

Just mash together:

  • 6-8 large radishes, roughly chopped
  • 3-4 radishes leaves, ditto on the chopping
  • 1 T lemon juice and zest from one lemon
  • 2 smashed and diced cloves of garlic (optional)
  • 4 T soft butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Reserve for later:

  • 2-3 T grated Parmesan cheese (also optional, but very nice)
mash, mash . . .

mash, mash . . .

Spread this on your toast or buns, while your oven is heating to broil. Then sprinkle the parmesan cheese over all if you like (we liked it that way) and broil for a couple minutes until everything is lovely and golden and toasty. We all decided that a skiff of dijon mustard did not, after all, go amiss.

pre-broil

pre-broil

post-broil

post-broil

A few strips of bacon make lunch a LUNCH.

A few strips of bacon make a good lunch a GREAT LUNCH. 🙂

Lunch is ready!

Now before you pad out to the kitchen to whip these up . . . one more thing . . . actually, two more things:

Thing One: Here’s a guest blog post that I wrote about how to make buns out of artisan “bucket dough,” if you want to make some little buns like the ones in the photos. They’re easy. Quick. And reliably yummy.

That’s all for now, Gentle Reader. Always, I appreciate you. I love it that you check in on my shenanigans and give a hoot, at that. Have a good day. Take care of each other. Count your blessings. Floss your teeth. Hug your kiddos and pet your dog even though he may be driving you crazy today.

After all, we’re all in this together. Even the dog.

*hugs*

 

16 thoughts on “How to make Scrumptious Radish Sliders: addictive as all get-out!

  1. jerri

    Perfect timing. I was wondering this morning what to do with the radishes I pulled. I use them or row markers when I plant other seeds, but I don’t really know what to do with them other than put them in salad.

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      If you have more than you know what to do with, Jerri, you can cut them in halves and roast them with butter, s&p in the oven on a jellyroll pan, too. Also very delicious!

  2. Jenn Alex

    When I think of radishes, I imagine a bitter taste. They were never my favorite, but your recipe sounds interesting and I wonder if crumbling the bacon and mixing it directly with the radish relish would be good?

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      I think that sounds wonderful, Jenn. A slice of a good tomato would be good on top, I’m thinking, too. 🙂 Once the tomatoes are ripe. You’re right that radishes will get bitter if they are raised when it’s really hot. But radishes that are raised correctly (grown very quickly, in cooler temps) will be juicy and crisp, with only tanginess but not true bitterness. Radishes get a sharper and sharper taste the longer you leave them in the ground. Try growing your own in the early spring, or in the fall–they take only 3 or 4 weeks to mature–you’ll be amazed at how delicious they are!

  3. Robin

    I think the buns are perfect for sliders! It just wouldn’t look half as food on a store bought bun. I have a few radishes left to pull, and I’m getting pretty tired of radishes but this looks so good I’m going to whip it up and give it a try.

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      You’re right about that, Robin. And good homemade buns, made with artisan bucket bread, are really so easy to whip up!

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      Aren’t they good, Rose? I love how chewy and dense (well, not dense, but you know what I mean!) they are. And it’s so easy to keep a spare bucket in the ‘fridge with dough in it.

  4. Chantal

    I have never really eaten radishes in any form other than a topping on salads. This is such a creative recipe and it sounds (and looks) very good! Thanks for joining the Link-It To Me Link Party this week, I hope you will party with us again next week!

  5. Jillian

    Looks delish! I just had to add radishes go great in stew too. Hubby thought they were little potatoes. They lose their color, and get soft and kinda sweet.

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      THANK YOU Jillian! I have LOTS of radishes this fall, and am searching for ways to use them. I hate for them to go to waste!

    1. dramamamafive Post author

      Carolyn, good question! Although the radishes spend so little time under the broiler that I don’t think it changes the texture. If you find that it does, let me know, okay? I’d love a follow-up on that question!

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