A simple vegetable garnish can really make an appetizer, serving dish or hors d’oeuvres   platter look spectacular.   I like to create garnishes with simple ingredients and ordinary tools.  This radish flower garnish is a simple one to create and can be used in dozens of wow ways.

I demonstrate this garnish with a red radish.  It can easily be created with any type of radish, although I find that the best results are with red radishes that are tall and narrow. Very round radishes will also work but will not open up as much as the tall, narrow ones..

 

 

INGREDIENTS

radishes
ice water
plastic container or mason jar

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

 

Scrub the radish and carefully trim the root end of the radish creating a flat bottom. Position the radish with the flat root end on the bottom

 

Score the radish making scallop-shaped cuts as close to the peel as possible from just below the tip to just above the bottom of the radish.  Be careful not to make the cut all the way to the bottom or the radish cuts will not hold together.

Turn the radish and keep making scallop-shaped cuts, overlapping each cut and going around the radish.  The closer to the peel that the cuts are made, the more decoratively the radish flower will open when soaked.

 

Prepare a mason jar or plastic container with ice water and soak the radish garnishes for at least 20 minutes.

 

The radishes will open up to resemble flowers.