This time of year, I crave color and crunch. Give me a sturdy salad, but not one made up mostly of lettuces. They disappoint, lacking the crispness and savor of deep green leaves from our spring gardens. It's better to go with dense winter radishes that are now in our co-ops and farmers markets.
Consider the Black Spanish radish, with its rough black skin and bright white flesh, or the watermelon or beauty heart radish, its pale green exterior hiding a shockingly pink center. No need to peel these — just scrub off any dirt.
The beauty heart is milder than the other winter radishes — it's almost sweet. Bigger than their tiny spring cousins (the familiar round red chariot bell or the fingerlike French breakfast varieties), winter radishes take much longer to mature in the field, are harvested in the fall, and stored through winter. Radishes of all seasons are members of the broccoli family, originally from China and prized for their peppery flavors that cleanse the palate. They are great sources of potassium, fiber and vitamin B.
This salad relies on plenty of parsley leaves that play the role of lettuce greens and herbs. Too often taken for granted as a garnish, parsley adds an assertive edge of bitterness and perks up the zesty radish notes. Choose flat-leafed Italian parsley that is darker in color and has a bolder taste. Toss the bigger parsley leaves in the salad, and chop the remaining whole bunch, stems and all, to add to the mix. Sliced fennel contributes notes of anise, and with a sunny lemon and herb vinaigrette, the dish is complete.
Serve this bright, refreshing salad as a side to roast chicken or pork. Or add a few slices of bruschetta topped with a creamy chèvre and call it lunch.
Winter Salad of Radishes
Serves 4 to 6.
Note: This works equally well with spring radishes, too. Meyer lemons make a lovely vinaigrette. If not available, use the more common Eureka lemons and increase the honey to taste. From Beth Dooley.
• 1 shallot, minced
