Random Food Fridays - Braised Radish Greens Hash

Eat vegetables for breakfast!

One of the things I like best about cooking is that I never seem to run out of discovery. I don't always succeed, but there's always something new to try and innumerable combinations of well known foods. This delicious dish arose out of my inability to garden very well. Like many things in life, I often enjoy the activity of gardening more than the outcome.
I have a little back yard with a few little garden patches. I try to place the few little patches of garden in the few little patches of sun that my back yard gets. This year I had about three square feet of radishes in two little rows. Radishes are so rewarding. They are the first to make an appearance from seed. Somehow, seeing those little baby dicot leaves peeking up makes me feel like a better gardener than I am. They are alive at my invitation and I've made a little home for them.

As you can see my radishes are a bit bushy. So far, I have only obtained one radish root in the customary spherical shape. I keep waiting for the rest of them to plump up, but, not so much. My friend Paula (who has a fabulous garden and very happy chickens) suggested that I clip back the greens to encourage root development. I gave it a try, but still, no orbs. However, I ended up with a giant flower vase of radish greens. I thought, I like greens. Maybe these are good. I took a bite and thought, A little pokey, but good green flavor. I didn't know how to treat them, so I began to ask around the interwebs. Tigress and her fans set me on the right course - braised with an egg on top. I thought potatoes would be a natural addition and they were. This hash is soft and creamy as opposed to crispy. I advise soft eggs as well. Poached would be nice, but I opted for gently cooked over-easy.

No orbital condition here.

Braised Radish Greens Hash

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

A very large bunch of radish greens - roughly the size of a dozen roses!

2 cups cubed new potatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

To prepare radish greens, wash thoroughly. Remove tough stems. I held the stem end and zipped the leaves off the end. Do be careful though - there are tiny spines on the stems. Roughly chop the leaves.

Heat a large pan over a medium-low flame. Add the olive oil, onion slices and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. After about 5 minutes, add the greens and potatoes. Stir to coat with the oil. Add the broth and simmer gently until the greens are tender. Mine took about 20 minutes, but my radish greens were pretty darn mature. Check for seasoning. Serve with soft eggs. Mine made four generous servings.