Happy Friday, friends! For the month of June, I am featuring sidedish recipes that are perfect for summertime grilling or an al fresco dinner or luncheon.

Today, I’m excited to feature a summer recipe from my friends at Coriander Kitchen and Farm! Coriander was a top finalist in the 2016 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest. Chef-Farmer team Alison Heeres and Gwen Meyer own the Detroit-based kitchen and farm. Alison is the head chef while Gwen is the farmer. You can get the details for the 2018 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest below the recipe. The end date of the contest is June 13th so hurry and get your entry submitted!

Check out Coriander Kitchen and Farm’s grilled radish with lemon-herb ricotta recipe! (P.S. – I never thought to grill radishes! What about you?)

 

Photo courtesy Coriander Kitchen and Farm

Radishes are a quick win in the garden. They sprout and mature quickly in the spring when we are hungry for fresh, crunchy produce, bright with flavor. Once you’ve eaten a million fresh raw radishes you start to wonder…what else can I do?

Once summer evenings start to draw us into the backyard night after night my question for every type of food becomes: Can I grill it? Radish? Yes, you can!

 

Grilled Radish Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 bunches of fresh mixed radish and/or salad turnips with tops
2 T. good extra virgin olive oil
Flake salt or sea salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

 

Cooking Directions: 

1. Use either a hot grill or a very hot cast iron pan or griddle

2. Lightly oil the grates or pan and make sure they are hot enough to make water sizzle if a couple drops are dropped on the pan or grill.

3. Place the radishes on the cooking surface and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow them to sit for 2-3 minutes and sear or brown lightly. Flip and do the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes.

You can experiment with how cooked you like your radish greens. I will sometimes cook the bulbs on a hotter part of the pan or grill and place the greens away from the heat to leave them less cooked. Sometimes I grill everything under high heat. Both versions are delicious.

 

Lemon-Herb Ricotta Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 gallon of whole milk*
1 cup whipping cream*
1 quart buttermilk
2 T. lemon zest
2-3 T. salt (to taste)
Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer

2 T. fresh picked thyme
2 T. fresh picked dill
2. T. fresh picked cilantro

*You can make this recipe with just whole milk and skip the cream but remember…you are eating it with just radish. Let the milk fat be your calories for the appetizer.

Cooking Directions:

Find the best milk you can. Ricotta is a simple recipe and high quality milk will make a big difference.

1. Pour all the dairy into a heavy bottomed pot and place over medium heat

2. Keep an eye on the mixture and let it heat slowly to 200 degrees or just barely about to simmer. Once it comes to temperature turn it off and allow it to sit undisturbed for 30 minutes. Look to see if you curd beginning to form. If not, heat for slightly longer or add a tablespoon of lemon juice to help the curd coagulate.

3. While waiting for the curd to cool pick your herbs, zest lemon and set aside

4. After 30 min. Strain the curd from the whey by pouring the mixture through a three-layer cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Add salt starting with a tablespoon and adding the rest after it has drained. The longer you let it strain the thicker the ricotta will be.

5. Once ricotta is strained and cooled add the zest and herbs. Add more salt to taste. You can also add honey if you want it slightly sweetened.

Presentation:

Take a serving platter and place a nice dollop or schmear of ricotta on the plate. Arrange warm grilled radishes on top. Encourage people to scoop radish and ricotta together and eat as a warm salad!

 

 

Calling All Entrepreneurs, Dreamers, & Innovators!

Photo courtesy Hatch Detroit

The 2018 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest presented by Bedrock is returning for an eighth year with a $50,000 prize, courtesy of Comerica Bank. Entrepreneurs with a retail concept looking to open a brick and mortar location in Detroit, Highland Park or Hamtramck can now submit their business plans.

“The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest is a catalyst for small business in Detroit,” says Vittoria Katanski, executive director, Hatch Detroit. “Independent retail helps define the character and personality of city neighborhoods. Together with partners such as Comerica and Bedrock, we continue to support independent retail while introducing 10 of the year’s best business concepts.”
The four-month contest includes two rounds of public voting – Top 10 and Top four – allowing the community to vote for their favorite businesses to win the $50,000 grand prize from Comerica Bank as well as a package of accounting, legal, IT and public relations support from Hatch Detroit and its partners.

Entrepreneurs can submit their business plans online at HatchDetroit.com/apply through July 13. For more information, visit HatchDetroit.com.

“Supporting and helping bring small business into the city of Detroit is very important to Comerica Bank,” said Monica L. Martinez, senior vice president of external affairs, Comerica Bank. “Through our partnership with Hatch Detroit, we’ve provided more than $250,000 in prize money and donated marketing and public relations support. We’re looking forward to all the great submissions and awarding this year’s winner with a way to kick-start their business.”

In addition to helping the contest winners open, Hatch Detroit is committed to helping its contest alumni succeed as well. Since 2011, 33 Hatch Detroit alumni have opened a business, and an additional 12 will be opened by March 2019. This includes the recent opening of 2016 contest winner Meta Physica Wellness Center.

The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest has received more than 1,700 business submissions since its inception in 2011. The contest encourages crowd entrepreneurship to ensure residents have a voice in helping to decide the type of retail they want in their community. The public has cast more than 520,000 votes since 2011 and helped crown Hugh, La Feria, Batch Brewing Company, Sister Pie, Live Cycle Delight, Meta Physica Massage and Baobab Fare as the contest winners.

 

Special thanks to Coriander Kitchen and Farm for sharing their Grilled Radish with Lemon-Herb Ricotta recipe with Good Life Detroit! 

Written by

Jennifer Hamra

Freelance creative Jennifer Hamra created her blog Good Life Detroit in 2015 after relocating from Tennessee to Southeast Michigan.

Inspired by her love for personal blogging and photography, Jennifer likes to share her favorite Detroit things, from cool places to visit (the hidden gems are her favorite!) to the amazing people she has connected with over the years.

When she's not busy juggling family life and her creative projects, you can find her at an art gallery, community event, farmers market, or spending quiet time at home with a good book and cup of tea.

Jennifer lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband Travis and their six children.

Connect with Jennifer on social media @goodlifedetroit on all social media platforms or via email at [email protected].