Radish Boats

Although I've seen photographs of stuffed round radish, I only had to look at these perfectly named variety 'Flamboyant' to think 'boat'. They are easy to eat despite looks, just pull out the stick, eat the sails and cockpit and then the boat and cargo, or vice versa. This recipe is, quick, simple and easy to make and they use minimal ingredients and I hope you'll agree, for maximum impact. I served them at home on a mirror and also added a mother ship, leader of the fleet, half a mini avocado, she carried more cargo and needed a spoon!

Ingredients

All my ingredients are organic and apart from the olives (and ricotta), easy to grow (makes 20)

10 long radish

10 teaspoons of ricotta

5 black olives

10 cherry/cocktail tomatoes

2 large leaves of Batavia or similar frilly leaved lettuce

20 cocktail sticks

To serve: A mirror makes a wonderful serving dish.

Inspiration from out in the bay

In the sea near where we live are 365 Islands and with a steady tourist trade in the Summer and locals keen on sailing all year round, there are various ways to get out to view them. One of the most picturesque is to take one of the old cod fishing boats or replica oyster boats, for which this area was once so famous. Above is La Marité, the last remaining seaworthy, turn-of-the-century cod boat and the Lys Noir a luxury pleasure yacht built in 1914 for a Russian princess who never took delivery. Not surprisingly given the date, it was seized by the authorities and dry-docked for the duration.

Cut each radish in half longways and remove a thin section of the 'hull' so she'll sit well on the water/mirror.

Load each of the decks with half a teaspoon of ricotta.

Cut sails from the lettuce leaves. Choose pieces with one edge cut near to the rib or in its general vicinity and where the leaf is crisper and will easily run up the mast.

Cut the olives into quarters and the tomatoes into halves.

Thread the sails onto the sticks. Add the black olive and tomato cockpit and leave enough stick to spear the hull.

Go to the beach and launch!

Enjoy!

All that needs to be said now is Bon Appėtit!