Those Ravishing Radishes

Jim Randall, (Elk Run Farm) a long-time farmer in the Shenandoah Valley, brings his produce to the market in Harrisonburg on Tuesdays. For several years I have availed myself of those lush goods, as well as plied Jim with questions about local farming ways. Lately, a series of different types of radishes have appeared on Jim’s stand. I am not an ardent devotee of radishes, although I like the Japanese daikon. My husband is the radish eater in our home, while I get excited about their leaves. Folks at the Farmers Market sometimes think it is strange to buy vegetables for their leaves, but a sale is a sale. And who can pass up such gorgeous foliage after the first frost when good greenery is hard to find?

I’ve made five bowls recently with a variety of leaves from German radishes (lovely globes that do not split, no matter how large they get), some other type of radish that comes in a plethora of beautiful reds and purples, a couple daikon-- and a bunch of parsnips. By all accounts, the radishes were delicious. I know the daikon was great in the wontons I took to the recent reception at the co-op. Parsnips I love in any form, but the leaves are best on bowls. Those landed on pumpkin pots. That is, I pressed the leaves into circles on rolled out clay, cut out the clay around their outside edge, and then pressed the clay down over those wonderfully organic pumpkins with the big ridges. The bowls are not as round as they might be when made over other pots, but their shape speaks to the land, the market, and the kitchen. The first “ravishing radish pot” I made was purchased as a gift for a chef. I have others now that will make a great holiday gift for the cook in someone’s life. And I have one to take to Jim, so he will finally understand why I ooh and ahh over his leaves.

Veggie Bowls

My neighbor Esther left a bag of beets hooked to my mailbox recently. She dug the last beets of the season and was canning them. The beets were delicious and the tops were still on them. I had fresh collards and kale in the frig so the temptation was overwhelming: the beet greens went on the outsides of three lovely bowls. I like veggies (and sometimes fruits) on the outsides of bowls, although many of those are small molded models. What could be more appropriate than real greens? It began with radish tops too pretty to go straight to the compost and the bowls they graced became a gift for a chef. Now I often roll cabbage and other greens onto the clay for leafy textures.

People occasionally tell me they don't actually use their Kahoka stoneware, but I make it for utility as much as interest and beauty. It is food safe and dishwasher safe. After surviving a kiln to 2200+ degrees, no dishwasher is likely to intimidate Kahoka pots. I don't know who will appreciate - or even recognize - beet greens on their bowls, but think of the delicious foods they could hold for Thanksgiving! We've eaten all our borscht, but the greens live on!