98. RADISHES are a root vegetable used almost exclusively as a relish or
to lend flavor to a vegetable-salad mixture. They are easily and
successfully grown and are plentiful and cheap, except when they are out
of season and must be raised in hothouses. Numerous varieties of
radishes differing from one another in size, shape, and color are
raised. The red ones are generally preferred, because they lend color to
a dish or a meal, but the white and brown varieties are just as
desirable so far as flavor is concerned.
99. Radishes contain very little food value, being about equal to celery
and cucumbers in this respect. They do not supply anything valuable to a
meal except mineral salts. Although some persons consider radishes
difficult to digest, they contain almost nothing that has to be
digested, for they are composed largely of cellulose, which does not
digest, and water. Radishes disagree with some persons because, like
onions and cabbage, they contain a strong volatile oil that gives them
their flavor.
100. Since radishes are always eaten raw, they require very little in
the way of preparation. The principal thing is to see that they are
perfectly clean and as crisp as possible. To make them crisp, allow them
to stand in cold water for some time before using them. Then remove the
tops and the roots and scrub thoroughly with a vegetable brush. The
small red radishes can be made very attractive by cutting the skin in
sections to resemble the petals of a rose. When prepared in this way, a
small portion of the green top is allowed to remain.