Honey, Garlic & Black Pepper Roasted Radishes

Ever wondered what to do with radishes other than eat them fresh? Roasting radishes intensifies their sweetness and gives them a milder flavour. Radishes also benefit from a high and quick cook so roasted radishes only take about 20 minutes to roast to golden! Then just drizzle some honey and black pepper on top and you've got a wonderful accompaniment to a roast!

I bought a lot of these radishes at the Marrickville Organic Markets and I fell in love with the varieties available. There weren't just regular pink, round radishes, there were black radishes, watermelon radishes and French breakfast radishes. We loved looking around there and Mr NQN and Viggo grabbed a table with Mochi while Louise and I shopped. In some sections it can get very busy and narrow and so it's best to go there with Mochi if he carries her.

One of Mr NQN's colleagues kindly gifted us with a bag to carry Mochi around in. I understand that dogs aren't usually allowed in shops and supermarkets but you can't really explain that your dog is really well behaved and quiet. This bag looks just like a gym bag but with a mesh upper so she can breathe and see out.

We decided to test it out one night to see how she would react. There were lots of treats involved although she seemed to get into the bag easily without any problems. She was fine as long as she could see me and we gave her a walk beforehand. We put the bag into a trolley and wheeled her around. Mr NQN was nervous but I wasn't as much. I'm of the belief that it's always better to ask forgiveness than permission but Mr NQN is the other way around. He was jittery even though we had seen people actually with dogs in the supermarket.

There was a baby in a stroller near us. It let out a loud series of cries. Mochi barked once at it. We both looked around to see if there were any staff near us within earshot. You see I was all prepared to pretend that it was I that was barking (I've even practiced a Mochi-like bark). I let out a soft bark looking a bit guilty but the baby's mother smiled conspiratorially and said that her dog always comes along in a bag too.

We finished our shopping and went to the checkout. The checkout operator pointed at Mochi in the bag and said something. Only I couldn't really understand him so I thought that he was telling us off for having Mochi there. He repeated himself, "Is that bag from here?" he asked pointing at the bag with our fluffy white dog inside but completely not noticing her. "Oh no, it isn't," we answered smiling. He hadn't seen her at all!

We tried another supermarket and she remained quiet and calm in her new bag. Even when we bent to pat her on her head or she'd stick her little head out nobody noticed and there was no barking this time. But then again I'm fully prepared to pretend that I'm the one barking!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you think it's better to ask forgiveness than permission or are you the other way around? Do you like radishes?

Honey, Garlic & Black Pepper Roasted Radishes

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

• 3 bunches radishes
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Small head of garlic, separated
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

For garlic and mint yogurt

• 2/3 cup natural yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 230C/446F and line a baking tray with parchment. Depending on the size of your radishes, halve or quarter them (if they're tiny you can keep them whole). Add the cloves of garlic (unpeeled) and you can also throw in the radish leaves there too. Drizzle with oil and roast for 20 minutes. I turn the tray around halfway just so they cook evenly. Drizzle with honey, black pepper and salt.

Step 2 - For the yogurt, mix all ingredients together and serve with the roasted radishes.