The oft under-appreciated radish is a versatile little vegetable. "To me the radish is such a humble but exciting vegetable because it's invigorating and refreshing," said chef Paul Berglund.

Consider me a convert to the simple red radish, with all credit going to Paul Berglund, executive chef of the Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis.

For decades, I had deliberately ignored the bite-size vegetable that appeared on countless relish trays at family gatherings.

Never mind that it also found its way as an afterthought sprinkled on the occasional dish for added color. A few bitter nibbles early on must have convinced me that radishes were not my cup of tea. I never gave them another thought, or taste.

Then the Bachelor Farmer opened its doors. Front and center on the dinner table, a relish tray landed with a handful of cherry red radishes and a mound of coarse salt.

I knew what to do, remembering what my Norwegian grandparents had done at the table years before: Dip the radish in the salt.

It was love at first bite. I reached for another, and, by the end of the meal, I was parched from all the salt, but happy.

Since then I've gone a bit radish wild. There's usually a bunch in my refrigerator crisper, ready to be added to salad (where they are definitely not an afterthought) or sprinkled in stir-fries, and added to sandwiches or omelets. You get the idea. Those little vegetables are versatile.

Berglund agrees. “To me the radish is such a humble but exciting vegetable because it's invigorating and refreshing. It's one of my favorite vegetables.”

His epiphany came about a decade ago while visiting an Iowa farm, where dinner included freshly harvested radishes braised in a bit of butter with a sprinkle of salt.

“It was heavenly,” he said. “You experience the radish in a completely different way when it's cooked. Instead of the bracing spiciness, there is more sweetness and more vegetable notes.”

Berglund grows two varieties of radishes — French Breakfast and Cherriettes — atop his North Loop restaurant. He no longer serves them in a relish tray, but, while in season, the baby vegetables appear in various ways as a kind of culinary surprise for guests.

Roasting them is one of Berglund's favorite ways to eat radishes. If the vegetable is larger than a quarter, he cuts it to that size, then tosses all with olive oil and salt, and roasts the radishes in a 400-degree oven, turning them every once in a while until they are caramelized on the outside. He adds them to salads and appetizers, or serves them alongside grilled meat, with the addition of chopped fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon.

Makes about 2 cups1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced, optional1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, more as needed½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice½ teaspoon celery salt1/8 teaspoon paprikaDash of hot sauce, optionalKosher salt1 cup finely chopped radishes¼ cup finely chopped green onions, white and light green parts onlyFresh vegetables and crackers, for servingPut the cream cheese, butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, celery salt, paprika, hot sauce and salt to taste into a medium bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined (you can also use a mixer on low speed, if you like).Stir in radishes and green onions. Chill for several hours to allow the flavors to blend.Taste and add more salt, Worcestershire sauce or hot sauce, if needed, but be careful not to let the Worcestershire sauce overwhelm the delicate flavors.Serve with fresh vegetables and crackers.From “Fresh Farm Nation,” by Martha Holmberg.

Serves a lot½ pound round red radishes, trimmed, at room temperature6 tablespoon unsalted butter, completely softened¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon Maldon salt1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepperAbout 24 thinly sliced rye toast points, unsalted crackers or celery sticksPut the radishes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the radish is chopped into very fine dice, 4 or 5 (3-second) pulses. Transfer contents to a length of cheesecloth or a double thickness of paper towels and wring out excess liquid.Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons butter. With a rubber spatula, cream radish and butter together, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture comes together in a smooth, pliable mass.Transfer mixture to a 2-cup ramekin or bowl, sprinkle salt and pepper over top, and serve immediately.(The butter will keep, covered with plastic, in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to let it soften. Sprinkle the salt and freshly ground pepper over the radish butter before serving.)From “The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern,” by Matt Lee and Ted Lee.