Monthly Feature
Lyndi knows what it’s like living without certain foods due to allergies, sensitivities and conscience.

I love little foodie surprises.

Do you sometimes marvel when watching a food-themed show or reading an exceptionally creative food blog when someone takes something so simple to the next level of wow?

That happened to me with a recent encounter with a savory cheesecake.

I was having a blogger meet-up at a local artisan restaurant here in beautiful Northwest Arkansas. You know the type of restaurant I am talking about: local, fresh, creative, small menu, artsy atmosphere, semi-restaurant, and semi-bookstore? It was heavenly. I ordered the savory onion cheesecake with an adornment of roasted radishes.

Roasted radishes?

Yes, you heard right… radishes that had been roasted. Does that surprise you, too? I have to tell you, they were beautiful to look at and oh-so-savory with a depth that surpassed the usual offering of this, one of the humblest of root vegetables.

That is why “meet-ups” are so special: 1) you get a chance to meet people with similar interests that you would otherwise or perhaps never have crossed paths with before, 2) you get a chance to try out a new restaurant or coffee shop, and 3) you often get delightfully surprised.

I love new-friendship surprises, too.

Kelly, one of the bloggers that morning (check out her adorable blog), surprised me at the following meet-up. She found a recipe for roasted radishes from the July/August 2011 Whole Living magazine and gave it to me.

Wasn’t that so nice of her.

Here, let me share it with you:

ROASTED RADISHES AND GREENS
Serves 4
July/August 2011 Whole Living magazine

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees (since it’s summertime, I used my roaster oven)

2. Separate 1 bunch radishes (halved if large) and their greens (mine weren’t available) and arrange on two rimmed baking sheets (I use parchment paper to aid in clean up).

3. Drizzle each with 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine.

4. Bake, until radishes are tender and caramelized and greens are crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool (I didn’t!).

This recipe is healthy, easy, inexpensive, savory, surprising, and oh yeah baby, it is easy-on-the-eyes.

Add roasted radishes to your menu the next time you have expected (or unexpected) guests, toss them with a salad, add them to potato salad, garnish a filet, or even mash them into twice baked potatoes.

Besides, who doesn’t have a bag of radishes at just about any given time of the year sitting in the crisper of the refrigerator?

Happy Eating!

Lyndi