I walked into a friend’s kitchen for a potluck dinner recently and on the table was a beautiful plate of fresh radishes (from 1000 Stone Farm, of course!), with their brilliant red bulbs grouped together and their long luscious green tops fanned out around them. That night, we dipped them in some nearby Thai peanut sauce and I thought, “Wow this is a delicious vegetable.” They were crisp but soft and sweet but biting all at once. I knew I had to set out on a quest for more recipes to feature this special treat.

Real Simple has compiled a collection of recipes that include radishes, in some cases as a featured ingredient and other times as an accompaniment. The recipes include a few salads, which are the more expected uses for radishes, but also include unexpected uses: topping on a grilled steak, fillings in a thick veggie sandwich, additions to soups, and even a saute of radishes and leeks. Bon Appetit has some great ideas, too, including some fancy salads, another take on sauteed radishes, and a radish raita to accompany grilled meats or spicy Indian dishes. Check these ones out – there are some unexpected ideas in the collection of recipes.

A simple preparation for radishes is refrigerator pickles. It’s easy:

INGREDIENTS

Radishes, tops and ends removed, sliced thin (and consider adding carrots, too!) – save the greens for cooking separately

Apple cider vinegar

Water

Maple syrup

Optional (actually not optional) add-ins: Garlic cloves, dried hot pepper, sliced red onion, mustard seeds, black peppercorns

DIRECTIONS

Mix equal parts vinegar and water (about 3/4 cup each) and add some maple syrup to sweeten it up (about 1/8 cup) and salt (1-2 teaspoons), then bring to a boil on the stove top. Once boiling, give it a good stir and turn off the heat. Pack your sliced radishes into a pint-sized canning jar or other covered container. Top with seasonings like garlic, onion slices, or peppercorns, and then cover with your liquid mixture. Refrigerate for 1 day to let the flavors mingle, and keep for 1 week in the fridge.

Try these on sandwiches, salads, cheese plates, tacos, or alongside any main dish.

And don’t forget to use those greens! They can be put in salads or sauteed with plenty of garlic, like any other.