Radishes with Anchovy Butter

Last year, harvesting radishes on the farm was an experience not easily forgotten–the spicy roots pop out of the dirt with ease, while their prickly greens keep you and your nimble fingers on the alert. This year, riffling through magazines and books at the family cabin I found an old and weathered Gourmet magazine. All else stopped–I couldn’t hear the birds chirping, the gentle laps of the lake on sun-warmed rocks; no, it all went on mute. Gourmet reinforced my love for the beauty of food, the hearty rituals, the gathering of loved ones, the misty or bright landscapes of faraway lands, butchers who sing and islands for bees. The romance of mealtime. That loving food does not mean rejection or exclusion. That there is beauty in more than you can imagine. That radishes, butter and one select ingredient can get it right.

Diving deeper into radishes, butter and anchovies–why would these unassuming ingredients have a place in your kitchen, aside from the lovely tales Gourmet wove while it was alive and well? Perhaps it’s time I weave my story. Let’s start with the radishes, shall we?

Radish juice in the morning for vitamin C?

Don’t worry, we haven’t jumped off that cliff yet (but now I’m intrigued). Radishes parallel oranges as one of our many plant sources of vitamin C, an antioxidant that plays a large role in capillary health (broken blood vessel around your nose? Here, grab a radish!), strong and sturdy bones and keeping our immune systems in tip-top shape throughout the year. Not bad for a humble spicy veggie, huh? The same old radishes you have hanging out in the fridge also can be a gentle support when we consider adding in additional supports for phase I and phase II liver detoxification. It can seem silly to think about how our bodies can detoxify, but I’ve got news for you. If you suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), seasonal allergies or you have a history of hitting the refined sugars hard (I raise my hand here…!), emphasizing foods with the power to support both of these detoxification pathways on the regular can be a great way to ensure your body can properly process any toxins that otherwise may be recirculating in your system. I know. It’s the power of the radish!

Butter, baby?

It’s been pretty cool to see how butter has lost some of its scary “my saturated fat levels will slay you” connotations with the advent of the Paleo and Weston A Price communities. While newer research is coming out and shedding light on how saturated fats may not be the key to keeping a diverse gut biome, we do know that including butter, coconut oil and other sources of saturated fats as part of a balance with fiber-containing vegetables is a great way to walk that healthy line from both a culinary and nutrition standpoint–and isn’t that the name of the game? Butter, especially from grass-fed cows (I love Kerrygold as an easy option to find in many stores these days), includes beautiful amounts of omega-3 essential fatty acids (which are anti-inflammatory fats that our bodies cannot make themselves and we must source from foods). Pairing a compound butter with fresh vegetables is a match made in nutritional heaven. BUT WAIT! What could add even more nutritional bang to your buck in this equation?

Enter–the fishies.

Anchovies! Or should I say Anchovieeeeeees! I do declare, I love me some anchovy action. The great part about purchasing anchovies that have already been blended into a paste is that they can melt and mix with whatever you throw their way. Have you tried my Braised Kale with Lemon and Anchovies? Or how about making a big batch of Parsley Persillade to top off a tray of roasted veggies? NO? Ok, well, start with this anchovy butter and let’s see how that sways you. Anchovies are such small fish that when you eat them, you’ll be getting some of their bones as well (it’s not weird, I swear, and you’d never know). This means calcium is coming into play in this compound butter, and it’s a highly bioavailable source at that. Oh, and extra omega-3 essential fatty acids, similar to our grass-fed butter above.

You starting to see the beauty in this simplicity?

Print

Radishes with Anchovy Butter

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (or 4 anchovy fillets from a tin)
• 1 clove garlic minced and mashed against the cutting board
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 large bunch radishes washed and tails snipped off

Instructions

1. Mix softened butter, anchovy paste, garlic paste and lemon juice in a small bowl.

2. Serve alongside the radishes, which have been chopped, sliced or left whole as you prefer.