The Roots of Taste : Easter Egg, White Icicle, black, Cherry Belle varieties liven up salads and appetizer plates.

Without a doubt, the most widely available radish commercially is the rounded, redskinned variety known as the Cherry Belle. This salad and appetizer staple has an almost exclusive lock on the market, although other “specialty” varieties are grown on a small scale--including some here in Ventura County.

Boskovich Farms in Oxnard is one of only a handful of growers in the area that raise the Cherry Belle commercially.

“It’s something Boskovich has been growing since the 1930s,” said Boskovich salesman Don Hobson. Although different strains of the Cherry Belle are common, all offer pretty much the same mild yet subtle peppery flavor, Hobson said. “Basically, the winter crop needs to have tops that are less susceptible to frost,” he said, while other strains are more conducive to summer growth.

And it is the tops that are a key marketing tool for Boskovich Farms. Radishes--with the green-leafed tops left intact--are not widely available in the United States, according to Hobson. “We’re one of the only growers in the country which grows the green top (Cherry Belle strains) year-round,” he said. Other regions, such as the South, farm a variety known as the “Cello,” Hobson said. “Those are sold without the tops.” The leaves and stems are whacked off and the roots packaged. “Those are the ones you commonly see sold in the plastic bag,” he said.

During the summer months, most of the Boskovich crop is sold in California, while mild weather allows other regions to raise their own local crops. Come winter, though, radish enthusiasts all across the country nibble on roots raised in Ventura County soil. “In the winter we ship all over because some states are unable to produce,” Hobson said. “The fields in other areas might be under snow, so they give us a call.”

Besides visual appeal, the tops can provide clues to freshness, Hobson said. Watch for any yellowing of the leaves, which is a sign the radishes may be past their prime; older radishes tend to turn spongy and dry in the center. An informal price check at a few area markets found a single bunch of radishes going for about 39 cents.

Oxnard grower Jim Tamai also raises a small amount of radishes year-round. The multicolored Easter Egg varieties are his specialty. “These come in about five different colors,” he said, “and are real popular.” Some of his bounty is offered at the Thousand Oaks farmers’ market and at the Tamai Farms roadside stand. Normally about an inch in diameter, the mild-flavored Easter Egg strains add dashes of purple, pink, white, lavender or red to your salad bowl.

One reason radishes are an all-year county crop, Tamai said, is because of their lightening-fast growth. Once the seed has been sown, harvest time arrives only three weeks to a month later.

Still other varieties are available that you’re not likely to come across in most markets--except, that is, for the Underwood Ranches produce stand in Somis. Here you’ll find such varieties as the large black radish (sometimes as pungent as horseradish), the mild White Icicle and a Technicolor offering of the popular Easter Egg types.

“Our Italian radish is very good for serving as hors d’oeuvres,” stand manager James Barker said. This red-skinned, white-fleshed variety is harvested when about five inches long and has a spicy, peppery flavor. “They are very colorful stacked up on a plate. Just snip off the ends and serve with a dip,” Barker suggested. Another Underwood’s variety is the mildly spicy French Breakfast type. It’s oblong shape is about two inches long and colored an intense red at the top, fading to white near the bottom.

“Radishes seem to be getting more popular,” Barker said. “Our inventory shows that radish” sales are on the rise.

SAMPLING LOCAL RADISHES

* Tamai Farms roadside stand: Pleasant Valley Road and California 1, Oxnard. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. (Tamai Farms now is between radish harvests, but will offer more in the coming weeks.)

* Underwood Ranches roadside stand: 5696 Los Angeles Ave., Somis. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Call 386-4660 for more information.