Radishes and Arugula

There's something so satisfying about pulling up root vegetables. I probably already said that the last time I harvested carrots or radishes, but I'm happy to say it again, just so I know you're getting the full effect. For weeks you wait patiently, watching as the little green tops emerge from the soil, growing bigger with time - a litmus of what you hope the roots are also doing tucked safely beneath the ground. Then one day, on your way to the mailbox, you see their little pink heads peaking out of the dirt. Hooray!

Last week, I harvested my first crops of spring. Not only the healthy handful of radishes you see here, but also bowls of the incredibly flavorful arugula, my favorite type of salad green. I snuck in a late planting in mid-March, knowing that these fast-maturing crops would soon complement my meals come April (radishes and arugula both mature at around 21 days, although mine took a little longer than that). Here's a few recipes that highlight these springtime favorites.

Rigatoni with Arugula and Alabama Pork Sausage (modified from Epicurious)

1 T olive oil
4 leeks, chopped (white part and about half the green part)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb Alabama pork sausage (we used a pound, but I think you could use more like 3/4-1/2 lb)
2 cans of tomatoes in juice (we used two 24 oz Mason jars of canned tomatoes)
1 lb rigatoni or other pasta of your choosing
2-3 cups (packed) of fresh arugula, stemmed (we used 2 cups, but I thought the dish could have used more)
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 T fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago (or Parmesan) cheese

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks; saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add sausage; cook until browned, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Drain drippings from pot. Add tomatoes with juice; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Stir pasta, arugula, basil, and oregano into tomato sauce. Simmer until arugula wilts, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan.

Young Root Vegetable Braise (from Deborah Madison's "Local Flavors")

4 slender leeks, including a little of pale green (or 1 bunch scallions)
6 carrots, yellow and/or orange, 3-4" long
12 small turnips with their greens
1 bunch radishes-with 1/2" of their stems
sea salt and freshly ground peeper
1 lb fava beans, shucked (we left this out)
2 T unsalted butter
2 T finely chopped tarragon (we used dried)
1 T fresh lemon juice (we used apple cider vinegar)

1. Slice the leeks crosswise about 1/4" wide, then rinse them in bowl of water and drain. But all but 1/2" of carrot greens off, peel the carrots, and slice them in half lengthwise. Leave 1/2" of turnip greens attached. Peel up to shoulders. Cut into halves or quarters. Have the radishes lengthwise, soak them briefly in a bowl of water, then rinse, esp. the stems.

2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil and add 1.5 tsp salt. Blanch carrots, turnips, radishes for 7 min., then set aside. Drop fava beans into the water for 1 min, then remove. Save the cooking water. Rinse the fava beans to cool, then pop them out of their skins.

3. Melt half the butter in an 8 to 10" saute pan. Add the leeks and cook over med heat for 2 min., stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable cooking water, the blanched vegetables, half the herbs, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer until the vegetables are fully tender, 10-15 min, adding water in 1/3 cup increments so that the pan doesn't dry out. There should be a little sauce.

4. Add the fava beans, remaining butter, and lemon juice. Raise the heat and swirl the pan back and forth until the butter has melted into the juice. Remove from heat, add the rest of herbs, season with pepper, and serve.