Marinated Radish Tartines with Radish Top Spread & Toasted Hazelnuts
The radish steps out of the appetizer platter's shadow and finally takes center stage!
- Prep time: 35 minutes
- Cook time: 5 minutes
We mostly know radishes as slices on an appetizer board, with butter and salt. That's all well and good. But they deserved better than a supporting role. Here, we pair them with their very own tops!
Ingredients
-
radishes
-
cream cheese
-
lemons
-
clove of garlic
-
olive oil
-
honey
-
apple cider vinegar
-
walnuts
-
salt and pepper
-
slice of bread
Recipe steps
Blanch the radish tops
Separate the tops from the radishes. Set the radishes aside. Rinse the tops thoroughly in cold water — they hold onto dirt and sand with remarkable enthusiasm. Plunge them for 1 minute into a pot of boiling salted water, then immediately into a bowl of ice water. Drain and squeeze out very well.
Prepare the radish top spread
Blend the blanched tops with the fresh cheese (ricotta-style), the zest and half the lemon juice (zest + juice), the minced garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until you get a smooth, green spread. Taste — radish tops have a character all their own, somewhere between arugula and watercress. Adjust the lemon juice to your taste.
Marinate the radishes in honey and vinegar
Cut the radishes in half lengthwise or into thick slices. In a bowl, mix the honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the radishes and coat them well. Let marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature — they’ll soften slightly and soak up the flavors.
Toast the bread and roast the hazelnuts
Toast the bread slices in a toaster or in the oven at 200°C for a few minutes. Dry-roast the roughly chopped hazelnuts in a small pan for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Keep an eye on them — a distracted hazelnut burns very quickly.
Assemble and serve
Generously spread the radish top spread on the bread slices. Arrange the marinated radishes on top. Scatter with the roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt & black pepper. Serve immediately as a starter or lunch tartines.
Tips and variations
- For a more spring-like version, add fresh raw peas or shelled fava beans on the spread just before serving. The crunch against the creaminess is irresistible.
- The fresh cheese can be replaced with homemade hummus for a dairy-free version that’s just as generous.
Anti-waste tips
Radish tops are edible and delicious: here they become a spread in their own right. Never throw them away again — it’s like tossing half the vegetable.
The zest of the lemon used for the juice contains all the aromas. Always zest it before squeezing, freeze it in a small bag: it adds flavor to yogurts, pasta, vinaigrettes.
The radish top spread keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed jar. It’s even better the next day once the flavors have gotten to know each other.
