Not much going on around here due to the Actual Situation. We are getting take-out from local restaurants about twice a month, but otherwise we are eating at home.
When I was waiting in line to buy potatoes at the neighborhood Friday market I started looking around and wondered: why only potatoes, why not some of the other (weird) regional and seasonal products? So I brought home some Schwarzer Rettich, or Black Radish.
Freising, January 2021
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 (weird) kick at the end.
Freising, January 2021
Because it is winter, I auditioned the Black Radish in a cream soup (yes, this is the least adventurous way to eat a (weird) vegetable). With a 5:4 radish-to-potato ratio it was kicky, but not annoyingly so.
Freising, January 2021
My final product is not as smooth-looking as pictured in the recipe source, but we like some texture in our pureed soups. We added some bratwurst to make it a weekday meal–protein, veggie, and potato all in a bowl. (Assume a green salad outside of the camera’s field of view.)
The creamy white garnish (I am not a food stylist) is Saure Sahne, which translates to Sour Cream, but has less milkfat (10%) than US sour cream, and a slightly more acidic taste. Schmand is closer to US sour cream, with 24% milkfat. They are interchangeable for soup garnish, but I use Schmand more often for other foods.
I am looking forward to seeing what is new and interesting (weird) next week!