Eggs with Radish Greens and Homemade Bacon

Look at that beauty of a radish! Yes, that's a Salad Rose on the side there, my first radish of the year. This variety grows up to 8 inches long and most amazingly, it's not woody at all - they have a wonderful silky texture, kind of like a baby turnip.

I've always wanted to figure out a use for radish greens - they're so prickly I can't bring myself to eat them raw, but I know they're edible and they're so abundant. Well, my newfound love of eggs (fresh from the coop only) has made it ridiculously easy. As I'm sure egg-lovers know, you can mix almost anything up with scrambled eggs and it's wonderful. I almost feel like I'm cheating posting a recipe for scrambled eggs, it's so basic.

The radish greens have a slightly bitter taste, not terribly sharp, which is a perfect complement to my homemade smoked bacon* and onions. This makes sense, because salty counteracts bitterness, according to culinary scientists. And the prickliness disappears when they're cooked for just a few minutes, so I'm sold. Radish greens really are good eats.

3 eggs
1 slice bacon
1 green onion
1 big handful radish greens (I used all the greens from 4 homegrown radishes, but store-bought radishes usually have smaller greens, so maybe all the greens from one bunch)

Mince the bacon and onion. Roll the radish greens tightly and slice into thin ribbons. Brown the bacon bits on medium heat, then add the onion and radish greens and cook until just wilted. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them to the pan. Let them cook for 30 seconds, then gently turn them, letting the liquid flow to the edges of the pan, and cook 30 more seconds. Turn off the heat and gently turn the eggs over once more, to let them finish cooking without drying them out. Add salt and pepper if needed (the bacon usually makes it salty enough).

*Yep, that's right... homemade bacon!! Yeah ok, I know this is a veggie blog so I won't go into it, but I just have to crow for a second. Seriously, I've pretty much decided I'll never buy bacon at the store again, it was so easy. I bought the pork belly at Keller's Farm Store in ABQ, and followed the recipe in Brian Polcyn and Mark Ruhlman's wonderful book, Charcuterie. Brine it for a week in a Ziploc bag, then smoke it (or just roast it) - that's it. Awesome, and cheap!