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A frugal recipe for pan-roasted radishes, leaves and all

Roots, including beetroots, carrots, radishes, etc, grow with a plume of stalks and leaves that are versatile, easy to prepare and nutritious, much like any other leafy green or herb. It’s important to eat root greens to make full use of the resources, labour and fuel that’s been used to farm them, and roots sold with their greens attached are likely to be very fresh (the leaves perish quickly), so are also likely to have been farmed relatively locally. They can cost more than stored roots, but that’s reduced or even mitigated if you use the whole plant.

In the recipes for my new book, Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet, nothing is peeled, trimmed or composted unless it’s inedible. The result is a climate-friendly diet that saves money through reducing food waste in order to buy better farmed and more flavourful produce in recipes such as this one.

Pan-roasted radishes with labneh, freekeh and radish leaves

Radish leaves are a common ingredient in various world cuisines, and they are used in soups, braised, curried or simply added to salads. In this recipe, adapted from my new book, they are simply wilted in the residual heat of cooked freekeh. Freekeh is a type of cracked wheat that is picked green and then set alight to burn off the husk a process that creates an incredibly flavoursome and smoky grain that’s a great base for a simple meal. Zaytoun sells a delicious Palestinian freekeh that is certified by Fair for Life, whose aims to create a world where trade is a driving force for positive and sustainable change, benefiting people and their environment, is shared by my own root-to-fruit eating sustainability manifesto.

Serves 2 as a light meal or 4 as a side dish
100g freekeh
, or bulgur wheat or couscous
1 bunch radishes with leaves
¼ lemon
, zested and juiced, ideally unwaxed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
200g labneh
, or plain yoghurt
1 tbsp coconut oil or rapeseed oil
1 tsp nigella seeds
, or black onion or sesame seeds

Put the freekeh in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water and cook for 15 minutes, until cooked through, but still a bit chewy. Drain, return to the pan, then gently stir in the radish leaves, lemon zest and juice, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and season to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and spoon the labneh on top.

Heat a dash of coconut or rapeseed oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat, being careful not to let it smoke. While it’s heating up, cut the radishes in half, then add a pinch of salt and fry for just a minute, until they are slightly blistered and still bright in colour. Spoon on top of the labneh, sprinkle the nigella seeds on top, and serve.

• This article was edited on 28 March 2020, to correct the excision of the end of the recipe method.