I thought the First Lockdown last spring was good time to learn how to use some of the regional and seasonal veggies that are a bit unfamiliar to Americans but readily available at the weekly markets. One Monday I picked out a recipe for the first try, wrote up a list of what to buy at the market on Wednesday, got all the non-veggie ingredients….and had an accident and broke my hand on Tuesday.
Allerdings.
Fortunately(?) in the Eternal and Increasingly Complex And Onorous Lockdown, there is time to research the individual Produkte and take some glamour shots. My first model is the Schwarzer Rettich, or Black Radish (if I call myself Black Radish Woman, does the first angry phone call come from the lawyers of Santana or The Cult?).
After intensive research (read: perused a few German food blogs) I can tell you that the Black Radish is related to the White (Beer) Radish, the skin can be eaten but is often peeled away, it’s a source of Vitamin C, and it’s in season in late fall through the winter. Eat it cooked, marinated, or raw. I sampled some of the raw root and found it milder than the Beer Radish but with the same little kick at the end.
But because it is winter, I auditioned the Black Radish in a cream soup. With a 5:4 radish-to-potato ratio it was kicky, but not devastatingly so.
My final product is not as smooth-looking as pictured in the recipe source, and I was so excited about the Rettich I forgot to buy Schnittlauch (mild chives). With the addition of some Bratwürste it was an excellent weeknight supper for two and has been added to my Denglisch Binder Of Recipes for a repeat performance.
The islands of white stuff are Saure Sahne, which translates to Sour Cream. It is 10% milkfat and more acid-y than Schmand, which is closest to US sour cream at 24% milkfat. They are substitutable for soup garnish, but I wouldn’t substitute them in baked goods or sauces.
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