I’m not sure how many people in my reading audience are fans of horseradish, that perennial herb used as a condiment, but if you are a fan, I have some good news. July is National Horseradish Month! Quite a few members of our extended families like horseradish. Eric & I, along with Eric’s brother, Karl, like it enough to grow it in our gardens. I first decided to try growing it after tasting some freshly prepared horseradish at a Vermont farmers’ market while on vacation. My first attempt to grow it from a root purchased at a garden center didn’t yield any plants. The following year, I found a horseradish plant at a different garden center and was able to successfully grow it. The third year, I went back to that garden center to pick up a plant for Karl for his birthday, only to find that the supplier had lost his horseradish crop in a cold snap and there were no plants available. Not wanting to change my plan for Karl’s birthday, I dug up some of the horseradish in my garden & potted it for Karl. (Horseradish spreads easily, kind of like a lazy mint plant.) I am happy to say that both mine and Karl’s horseradish crops are doing well! Eric & I turned last summer’s harvest into the condiment by quickly grating the roots then dousing them in vinegar to stop the reaction between the air and the enzymes from the crushed root cells. That reaction is what gives horseradish its bite. Due to it’s pungent heat, horseradish is used sparingly in dishes. As they say, a little goes a long way!
Horseradish is a main ingredient in cocktail sauce. Eric mixes up his own using ketchup, horseradish & a touch of lemon juice instead of buying it. But horseradish can be used in so much more! It pairs very well with beef and salmon. My hands down favorite recipe using horseradish is Horseradish Crusted Salmon, which I posted during my first summer of blogging. Here, we are venturing into the vegetable world with a horseradish sauce for green beans!
Grilled Green Beans with Horseradish Ketchup
Grilled Green Beans with Horseradish Ketchup (adapted from eatingwell.com)
Makes: 4 servings Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound green beans
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
Preparation:
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Toss the beans with the oil, then add the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper in a bowl. Transfer the green beans to a grill basket. If you don’t have a grill basket, you can improvise by folding a 24-inch piece of heavy-duty foil in half and crimping up the edges to create a lip for the basket.
We use a grill basket but heavy-duty aluminum foil works, too.
Grill the beans, shaking or stirring occasionally, until they are tender-crisp and brown in spots, about 8 to 10 minutes. If they’re browning too much before they are tender, reduce the heat or move the grill basket to a cooler spot on the grill.
Shake or turn the baskets as the green beans cook.
Combine the horseradish, mayonnaise, ketchup and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of pepper in a medium bowl.
Mix up the mayo, ketchup, horseradish & some pepper.
Add the grilled beans to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
So simple, yet so good!
Experiment with some horseradish this month! ~Linda
Grilled Green Beans with Horseradish Ketchup (adapted from eatingwell.com)
Makes: 4 servings Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound green beans
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
Preparation:
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Toss the beans with the oil, then add the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper in a bowl. Transfer the green beans to a grill basket. If you don’t have a grill basket, you can improvise by folding a 24-inch piece of heavy-duty foil in half and crimping up the edges to create a lip for the “basket.”
Grill the beans, shaking or stirring occasionally, until they are tender-crisp and brown in spots, about 8 to 10 minutes. If they’re browning too much before they are tender, reduce the heat or move the grill basket to a cooler spot on the grill.
Combine the horseradish, mayonnaise, ketchup and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of pepper in a medium bowl. Add the grilled beans to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve immediately.