Watermelon Radish Noodles

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

The Watermelon radish, also known as Rooseheart or Red Meat, is an heirloom Chinese Daikon radish.  It is a member of the Brassica (mustard) family along with arugula, broccoli, and turnips. Which explains the mild flavor with a slight hint of pepper along with some sweet notes.

Their exteriors are creamy-white with a slight hint of green around the shoulders of the radish or all around. This a sign of the chlorophyll it received from exposure to the sun.  The flesh is white closest to the exterior and becomes bright, circular striations of pink and magenta toward the center.  Hence, the watermelon reference.

The flesh of this particular radish is crisp, succulent, and firm. It can be enjoyed fresh, cooked, hot, or cold.   This beautiful root pairs well with fennel, apple,  creamy based dressings, vinaigrettes, cucumbers, mild salad greens, citrus, cilantro, mint, and tarragon.

Even though these radishes can be found year-round, they might be challenging to find in your local grocery store.  I found mine at Whole Foods Grocery.  To get the best tasting noodles, I looked for roots that were fresh and firm in texture.  Not all radishes have their greens attached but if they do they should be fresh, and be crispy green without any yellow, shriveled leaves.  If you see one with cracks or cuts on the surface, keep digging through them, we want to avoid those. If you spot a yellowness on any of them this indicates that the stock is old.  If the root yields to pressure and soft, the interior likely be pithy instead of crispy not to mention they won’t work well in the spiralizer.

Once you get home with these wonderful jewels, remove the top greens as they rob nutrients of the roots.  Wash the roots thoroughly in clean water to rid of surface dust and soil.  Store them in a zip pouch or plastic bag in the refrigerator where they remain fresh for up to a week.

Ingredients:

• Watermelon radish

Preparation:

1. Be sure to pick fresh and firm watermelon radishes.   This will ensure that you get the best tasting noodles possible.  If the radishes are rubbery, it won’t work on the spiralizer.
2. Wash and peel the radishes.
3. Place the unit on the countertop and press down on the spiralizer to engage the suction cups and secure.
4. Insert the blade cartridge you’d like to use, make sure that it clicks into place.
5. Cut flat ends on each end of the radish.
6. Place the center of the radish onto the cylinder part of the blade and press the teeth of the handle into the other side of it.
7. Take hold of the handle on the bottom (the horizontal one) with one hand and then spin the handle with the teeth to spiralize. Press steadily with forward pressure, using the handle that you’re gripping, for best results.
8. Before dressing up the noodles, take scissors when you’re done spiralizing and cut the noodles into manageable sized pieces.  Just grab a bunch of noodles and roughly snip.  Or enjoy that never-ending noodle!
9. You can make noodles in advance, they should keep for 5-7 days in the fridge, without sauce.

To clean the spiralizer:

1. Purchase an inexpensive handled brush for cleaning the blade parts and hard to reach parts on the unit.  This will save your fingers and prevent nicks from happening on the blades, keeping them nice and sharp.
2. Be sure to quickly rinse the unit after creating noodles.  The juices from certain root veggies can stain the unit.
3. Dry the blades well before putting them away.

Tools used to create noodles:

GEFU Spiralfix Spiral Slicer

1. Can be used in the left or right hand.
2. 4 different widths of cut for creative recipes: Spiral cut across the entire width of the material, 3 mm, 6 mm, or 12 mm wide adjustable via adjusting wheel
3. Folding lid for easy filling
4. Detachable non-slip holding container for safe standing
5. Material: stainless steel, ABS plastic, SAN
6. Splash-guard lid with drive unit detachable for easy cleaning. Dishwasher-safe

Spiralizer 7-Blade Vegetable Slicer

1. This slicer comes with 7 different blades which give you 7 completely different textures and shapes.
2. Comes with 420 high carbon cutlery grade stainless steel blades and stronger making it possible to Spiralize harder root vegetables like sweet potatoes and turnips that previously broke Spiralizer handles

Potato Peeler

1. Wash and peel the outer skin off of the veggie.
2. Hold the veggie at one end and in a long stroke motion, run the peeler from top to bottom.
3. Rotate the veggie in a circular motion and continue peeling until you reach the seeded core (if there is one).  Stop once you reach this.  Don’t throw it away, use it in a smoothie or salad.