Two kind of radishes, (1) small short season, the size of pecan/walnut, some maybe slightly longer..etc. (2) Long season radishes, as Asian markets sell, some can weight several pounds each. Some are mild/sweet and some can be spicey like horseradish or mustardy. The first, are mostly eaten raw, alone or in salad. Do not forget the tender tops. They are mild and can be added to salads. The latter, large radishes can be eaten raw with salt, pepper, winegar, oil just like cucumbers. Can be also cooked like turnips.Chinese/Koreans pickle them in red hot sauce a lot. Beats, as far as I know, can be only eaten cooked. I prefer baking or steaming in crack pot. THEY NEED LOOOONG TIME TO REALY COOK WELL Now that you (OP) want to try them, why not plan to do a fall planting this year. In zone five probably you can start in late july(Not sure, check with your fellow zoners). I do fall-planting of large/chinese type radishes. They last all winter and stay in the garden. Just pick as many as needed, when needed. No harvesting, unless your garden will be covered with several foot of snow. lol

this is the recipe I have used for many many years for our New Years Hoppin John Hoppin' John 4 (or more- I prefer more) slices of bacon 1 large onion, chopped 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh garlic 2 cans chicken broth 1 lb. smoked sausage, chopped in 1' chucks 1 pound dry black-eyed peas (soaked overnight and drained) 2 Bay leaves 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 14 oz can of tomatoes, undrained Rice, cooked Green onions, chopped for garnish. Brown the bacon in a Dutch oven. Remove the bacon and eat it. Saute the chopped onion, bell pepper and celery in bacon grease until onions are clear. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so. Be careful not too burn the garlic. Add broth, sausage, peas and seasonings. Cover and let simmer on low heat for about 2 hours- check to make sure it's not stickin'. Check to make sure the peas are done before proceeding. Add tomatoes and cooked rice (about 3 cups, give or take, depending on how thick you like it) and cook uncovered on low heat, stirring often. Sprinkle chopped green onions on top just prior to serving. Cornbread and coleslaw make fine accompaniments to this and ham may be substituted for sausage. You can use rotel as part of the tomato for more kick, and I always add some Tony's seasoning to the batch.

Lemon Panna Cotta (America's Test Kitchen) 1 cup whole milk 2 3/4 teaspoons gelatin 3 cups heavy cream 2 inch piece vanilla bean, slit lengthwise with paring knife (or substitute 2 teaspoons extract) 4 pieces lemon zest (about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide), cut into julienne strips 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice from 2 medium lemons 6 tablespoons granulated sugar Pinch table salt Pour milk into medium saucepan; sprinkle surface evenly with gelatin and let stand 10 minutes to hydrate gelatin. Meanwhile, turn contents of two ice cube trays (about 32 cubes) into large bowl; add 4 cups cold water. Measure cream into large measuring cup or pitcher. With paring knife, scrape vanilla seeds into cream. Place pod in cream along with seeds, add julienne lemon peel, and set mixture aside. Set eight wine glasses or 4-ounce ramekins on baking sheet. Heat milk and gelatin mixture over high heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved and mixture registers 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 minutes. Off heat, add sugar and salt; stir until dissolved, about 1 minute. Stirring constantly, slowly pour cream mixture into saucepan containing milk, then transfer mixture to medium bowl and set bowl over ice water bath. Stir frequently until thickened to consistency of eggnog and mixture registers 50 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Strain mixture into large measuring cup or pitcher, stir in lemon juice, then distribute evenly among wine glasses or ramekins. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap, making sure that plastic does not mar surface of cream; refrigerate until just set (mixture should wobble when shaken gently), 4 hours.~~

other things that might appear at our big Cajun Christmas dinner. Boudin Balls 1 lb. Cooked Boudin 2 eggs , slightly beaten Seasoned Italian bread crumbs Cooking Oil Remove the boudin from the casing. Form dressing into balls about the size of a whole walnut shell. Dip balls in beaten egg and then into seasoned crumbs. Deep fry balls in cooking oil until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot with toothpicks. Calas 1pack dry yeast 1/2cup warm water 1 1/2cup well cooked rice (short grain) 3eggs beaten 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg salad oil 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1Tbs. ground cinnamon Dissolve yeast in the water. Mash rice grains while hot with back of a spoon, cool to lukewarm. Combine yeast and rice, mixing well, cover and let rise in a warm place over night. In the morning add eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and nutmeg to rice, beat until mixed. Heat 3 inches salad oil in a skillet to 375, drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil and cook until golden brown, turn once. Drain on paper towels. Combine powdered sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over hot calas and serve immediately Suggest serving with Lemon Curd, fresh fruit spreads, or honey. CRAWFISH BALLS 2 lbs. peeled crawfish tails 1 onion, chopped, small dice 1 bell pepper, chopped, small dice 3 jalapeños, chopped/minced 4 slices stale bread 2 TBSP crawfish fat (if avail.) 1 egg, beaten 3 TBSP chopped parsley 3 TBSP scallions 2 tsp. oregano, dry (variable and can be omitted) salt to taste black pepper to taste cayenne to taste 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (plain) Grind crawfish tails, onions, bell pepper, jalapeños, and bread slices in food processor. Add seasonings, crawfish fat, egg, parsley, and scallions; mix well. Shape into balls the size of a walnut and roll in bread crumbs. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. NOTE: can be frozen after rolling in bread crumbs and baked without thawing, but due to the crawfish fat, do not keep frozen longer than one week. The fat will turn rancid quickly. NOTE: crawfish fat may be omitted RUM BALLS; this recipe is for bourbon or rum balls, some recipes say you can use melted chocolate chips instead of the cocoa. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of crushed vanilla wafer crumbs with 1 cup of finely chopped pecans, 1 cup of powdered sugar (confectioners'), and 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of bourbon with 1 1/2 tablespoons of light corn syrup. Stir well. Stir the bourbon and corn syrup mixture into the dry ingredients; combine well then chill for at least 1 hour. Sift about 3/4 cup of powdered sugar onto a baking sheet or wax paper. Shape chilled dough mixture into small balls then roll in the powdered sugar. Store in tightly covered containers in the refrigerator or freezer. This recipe makes about 36 bourbon balls. And this one is a MUST have! It goes so fast you better make plenty. Shrimp dip Moms 1 lb boiled peeled shrimp 2 8oz pk cream cheese softened 1/2 cup mayo Worcestershire sauce Tabasco salt and pepper to taste garlic salt a little lemon juice a little dill weed (¼ tsp) chopped green onion tops Cream cheese and mayo until smooth (you may need to adjust mayo amount). place shrimp in food processor or chop finely. Add to cream cheese mixture. Season with Worcestershire sauce (splash), Tabasco, salt and pepper, garlic salt, dill, add green onion tops, a squeeze of lemon. refrigerate overnight, or at least a few hours. I boil the shrimp in zatarans crab boil. Better make a double batch!