Harvesting French Breakfast Radishes

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Remember the French breakfast radishes we seeded in the high tunnel at the end of September? We harvested the first of them this week and they are now available at the Farm Stand! Since radishes grow fairly quickly, they are typically the first root veggie to make their way into season in the fall. French breakfast radishes have a delicious crunch and a mellow bite. Enjoy them raw in salads, slaws, and sandwiches for a peppery bite. Or, you can roast them until tender to mellow their flavor.

Did you know that a large portion of the varieties that we grow during the cooler seasons belong to the brassica family? Brassicas, also commonly referred to as cruciferous vegetables, prefer cooler temperatures and can tolerate reduced daylight hours thus they’re grown during the fall, winter, and early spring months. Members of this extensive family include leafy greens like kale, collards, and mustards in addition to broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. There are also root veggies in the Brassica family including radishes and turnips.

We’ve been harvesting leafy greens from our roselle plants all summer long and now that the daylight hours are growing shorter, they’re starting to produce these gorgeous red pods! After our roselle plants bloom and the flowers drop off, they form the ruby red pods you see below. The red portion is called the calyx and it surrounds a green seed pod. The calyx has a tart cranberry-like flavor that can be used for teas, jams, sauces, and chutneys. We expect to make the first harvest within the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out at the Farm Stand!

In Season at the Farm Stand: French Breakfast Radishes, Kale (Curly and Dino), Komatsuna, Collard Greens, Amara Mustard Greens, Baby Butternuts, Korean Melons, Asian Eggplant, Roselle Greens, Okra, and Long Beans.