Our first veggies of the year are of course the radishes. I think most gardeners plants a few each year as they are so easy to grow and mature so quickly. Radishes give an early payback and help to reassure that all the sweat and toil are indeed yielding results. The only problem is that few people in my family really enjoy radishes. A tiny detail forgotten at planting and suddenly remembered at harvest.
So yesterday the radishes were ready for picking. My brother was visiting with his children so we took the opportunity to make it an event. My six year old niece excitedly grabbed the green leaves and yanked the radishes one by one with a dramatic flair only a kindergartner can muster. She helped me wash and slice until we had a bowl to share with the other kids. Two of the group were radish newbies and the rest were pretty sure they weren't big radish fans though they couldn't recall why. That's when the gauntlet was thrown down. Five kids spanning ages six through nineteen (I know technically not a kid) challenged each other to see who could win a radish eating contest. The face off was quiet at first but after those first few bites memories were suddenly refreshed and you could almost see the light bulbs coming on as the peppery taste warmed their mouths, "Oh, yeah NOW I remember!"
I sat in the corner and smiled watching the tangled web of flailing arms grabbing for glasses of water to quiet their burning tongues. Our first garden produce of the season, while not a fave among the youngsters, generated such laughter in our kitchen that I consider it a definite hit. It certainly created a lasting memory for the cousins to share. Next year when planting time comes I may even plant a few radishes again- just for fun.
