Radish Butter

Last Easter I went to France. Two of my best friends were living over there. What better time to go when I had places to stay and awesome tour guides who love food (snacks on every corner), wine (wine at and in between every meal), and exploring (walking, shopping, cathedrals, museums, and Roman ruins) as much as I do. One friend was doing a program that required a six-month stint in New York City followed by six months in Paris--come on?!? And the other, friend was in Lyon (the food capital of France, JACKPOT) teaching English at a public school. I had saved my compensation days from travel season (read: we are gone weeks at a time, come home, pack, and go on another trip from September - December and get four days compensation). These four days along with Easter Monday served as my time to go to France for a week.

Horrible flight aside (the rather large woman beside me took a sleeping pill, slumped over the arm rest into my seat, and snored for over half of the flight...this was after she spilled her third glass of chardonnay in my seat), France was unbelievable. We visited cafes, bistros, landmarks (holla, TJ), farmers' markets, grocery stores that sell designer clothes, bakeries where the bread is still made by hand, museums, boutiques, ice cream places, rented bikes (good thing I had my insurance card with me), had a Moroccan dinner, ate the place the G7 had dinner during its meeting in 1996, etc. I definitely ate my way through France, and in the process, I tried foods I had never seen before and/or had avoided for no particular reason.

French farmers' market = heaven on Earth

 I had never really had a radish. My grandmother always put them in her salads, but they were pretty easy to avoid. The radishes in France were completely different than the ones in the states; their flavor was much more mild. The ones you see in our stores are very plump, large, and red, but the radishes at the markets were long, skinny, and more white/pink than red. Heck, everything in the market was smaller (i.e. not on steroids) and so fresh it looked like the fake stuff you buy in the aisle with the silk flowers. I. could. live. like. that.

We bought a bunch of random stuff for our vegetarian Easter feast, radishes included. Radish butter is pretty popular over there; they also cut just above the root and dip the radishes in salt and eat them like that--another great way to eat them. Anyway this butter is very, very simple--so simple I'm almost embarrassed to post it, but I figure it may be something new...

You must have fresh bread for this if you have time; if not, get a French baguette from the grocery's bakery section...or if you're fortunate enough to have a bakery nearby--ha, that would be the life.

I made this most recently, because a friend and I went to a farmers' market, and the radishes looked JUST like the ones in France! We went to a bakery (I was out of town) and bought a fresh multi-grain loaf to go along with the butter.

1 stick of butter, softened
1/4 c radishes, finely grated
pinch of salt

It's basically 2:1. Once you grate the radishes, pat them with a paper towel to absorb any moisture. Mix radishes and butter; then add the pinch of salt. Serve immediately. If you have leftover radishes, slice the bottoms off and dip them in sea salt.

This will work with our insanely large (read: 'murican-sized) radishes, but if you ever see any that resemble the pictures here, get them. Make this.