Thursday, June 30, 2016

Gingery Coconut Milk Radish Greens Soup

(hashtag) radishmania 2016.
stop worrying. start sharing.
Gingery Coconut Milk Radish Greens Soup
with Salted Buttered Radishes.

I'm a black belt in anxiety fueled second guessing and self-sabotage.
An achievement a lifetime in the making.
It's the reason I'm terrible at sustaining friendships, why I still haven't gotten any tattoos or learned to skateboard or surf, and why I'm finally writing this slightly spring-y soup post on the eleventh day of summer at six in the evening.

The recipe has been tested and ready to share for well over a month at this point. But every time I sat in front of the computer and tried to write something (ANYTHING) to fill this space, I cycled through that obnoxiously familiar... nothing ever seems quite good enough no one cares what you have to say everything feels overwhelming so instead I'll just tunnel down the internet rabbit hole for a few hours because everyone should know how to modify a vintage dresser to conceal a litter box and tori spelling's full post 90210 filmography needs investigating also what ever happened to the guy who played the slightly rockabilly looking musician who sang that song about talking to angels and threw her character down the stairs didn't he get a spin-off or something... headspace.

Noise noise noise. 90s kid noise.

Then I had a minor epiphany at a concert the other night. Maybe it was the music or that I was juuuuust the right kind of self-medicated... whatever the cause, a whole lot of super intense feel-y thoughts about emotional honesty in relation to anxiety happened. The most immediately relevant being that I carved out this little digital nook way back when to put something genuine out into the world -- so what's the point if I'm not being my best (or at least...better) self here? Plus my birthday is rapidly approaching and I'd like to fuel my next trip around the sun with something more effective than creeping discomfort.

So YOU'RE WELCOME EVERYONE! Enjoy my rawness.
Also, this delightful soup recipe.

Gingery Coconut Milk Radish Greens Soup
with Salted Buttered Radishes.

1-2 bunches of radishes (french breakfast, easter egg, cherry belle), greens attached--
you want roughly 2 cups of chopped greens, so shop accordingly
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/4c minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2c reduced fat coconut milk
2c water
1tsp sea salt
2tsp olive oil

dairy free butter of choice
flaky salt

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Garlicky Radish Greens Polenta with Crispy Shallots and Radishes

Garlicky Radish Greens Polenta
with Crispy Shallots and Radishes.

I know, I know. It's been a while. I'm going to ease somewhat gently back into these blogging waters by listing the top seven reasons why I'm not the biggest fan of spring. 1) It's too warm to wear sweaters all the time and I'm not ready to give up my cold weather wardrobe yet. 2) All I do is sneeze. 3) When I'm not sneezing my head hurts. 4) Local berries are still somewhat scarce and cost roughly $15,000 per pint at the farmers market. 5) I can not sleep with the windows open because I will wake up covered in a thin layer of pollen. 6) Did I mention that my head hurts? 7) Number two again. 

Now for the much shorter list of things I like about spring. 1) Radishes. 2) Not having to wear three pairs of socks to prevent frostbite. 3) Number one again. 
That is all. 

Perfectly blush-y pink-y bunches of freshly harvest radishes give me all the tingly feels. Enough to temporarily overshadow the seasonal crankery listed above and, upon first sighting of the year, compel me to grab a bunch in each hand, do a little dance while shaking them high in the air and scream LOOK WHAT I FOUND in the middle of a crowded market.

So here we are, at the very first post of (hashtag) RADISHMANIA 2016 - a yet undetermined number of recipes (at least a few, I promise) using every part of the radish, from pretty little root to leaf and everything in between. Because wasting stuff sucks and because radishes are awesome and so are you. xoxo

Garlicky Radish Greens Polenta with
Crispy Shallots and Radishes.

3 large shallots, very thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 large bunch radishes (cherry belle, french breakfast, easter egg)
with bright, healthy greens attached
1c coarse polenta grits (I prefer Bob's Red Mill brand. Not a sponsored post,
they just cooks beautifully)
3c water
3Tbsp extra virgin olive oil + an extra drizzle or two
2tsp sea salt + extra to taste
1/2c freshly squeezed lemon juice + an extra squeeze for dressing