Daikon Porridge

I’ve been coveting a daikon and doing a little research and this recipe seems so simple and delicious, I can’t wait to try it. Basically it’s just rice, daikon and salt. Just the ticket if you’re feeling under the weather. And good news is that the daikon will keep, wrapped maybe in a damp dish towel, in your refrigerator for a month or two so if you don’t feel like porridge now, it will be waiting for you when you do. The recipe calls for daikon greens and sprouts so we’ll have to be creative, or wait and see if another bunch of radishes with their greens shows up in one of the last few boxes.

Daikon and Shrimp Soup

This soup recipe comes from Florence Fabricant and will use up quite a bit of radish. Serve it hot, or chill it and serve it cold.
In place of the green chili it calls for, you can also a Scotch bonnet pepper, but DON’T CUT IT UP. Just simmer the whole pepper in the soup when you add the shrimp, and then remove it before serving. You just want a bit of the heat, not the whole scorching thing.

Local Republic’s Shrimp and “Grits”

Let me share the simplest, best way to fix cornmeal polenta, courtesy of Scott Simon chef at Local Republic in Lawrenceville. He uses cooked cornmeal as a substitute for grits in what is otherwise a pretty traditional shrimp and grits recipe. I’ve used this idea now a half dozen times as a bed for fresh fish (while at the beach), sautéed vegetables, you name it. Love it.

After you try this, if you like the texture of the cooked cornmeal, remember the proportion of 4 cups liquid to 1 1/4 cups cornmeal. And of course, if you want yours thicker or thinner, just adjust the amount of liquid. Now you can make this any time you need a quick carb. Really – a side dish in 3 minutes? What’s not to love?