Now, not just everyone loves radishes. But we do, so I thought I would try this salad that I found on the Genius Kitchen site. And I am so glad I did. I tweaked the amounts a little, but didn’t add or delete a single ingredient. And oh what a refreshing change from the typical salad I serve. No lettuce, no fancy dressing; just a perfect blend of vinegar, oil, herbs, and spices. And easy to build? Absolutely.

According to Wikipedia, “The radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus) is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae  family that was domesticated in Europe in pre-Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw as a crunchy salad vegetable.”

Dr. Mercola on the Food Facts website states that “Radishes are a favorite vegetable all over the planet. They contain significant amounts of vitamin C and several other vitamins and minerals, and a few not-so-familiar phytochemicals such as indoles, which detoxify, and the powerful antioxidant flavonoids zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta carotene.

Radishes also contain an important isothiocyanate antioxidant compound called sulforaphane, a proven cancer fighter. They remove bilirubin from the liver, preventing jaundice, and perform other healthful tasks like purifying kidney and urinary systems, regulating blood pressure, relieving congestion, and preventing respiratory problems such as asthma or bronchitis.”

So the next time you need a crunchy addition to your menu (and when don’t we need as much crunch as we can get), give this healthy, easy to prepare, economical, and delicious salad a try. We love it and hope you will too.

• 1 T. white wine vinegar 
• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. caraway seed
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ tsp. sugar 
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt 
• freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 bunches radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

In a salad bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, caraway seed, oregano, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss in the radishes. Adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

For our last home pre-concert meal, I decided that roasted veggies would be a lovely addition. But after the whole menu was set I realized that there wasn’t one ounce of crisp in the entire meal. Wrong. Just wrong. On several levels. So I thought about the roasted veggies and what I could do to give them some crunch. So I looked up roasted veggie salad recipes on the internet. And I found all kinds of recipes for salads with roasted vegetables. Lovely! So I perused a few and came up with this assortment of ingredients based on Tori Avey’s recipe for Grilled Vegetable Salad. (Thank you Tori.)

Now I realize romaine isn’t all that crisp, but it is better than no crisp, so in it went. I didn’t know how roasted and raw veggies would work together, but this combination seemed to be meant for each other. (And yes I know, cooked beets are frequently used in fresh salads. But you have to remember, I’m getting older. Sometimes it takes me awhile to put 2 and 2 together!)

But whatever, this salad was very well received, and I plan to try more combinations of cooked and raw ingredients.

And speaking of cooked beets in a salad, give my Beets in a Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette or Remolacha a try. Both are a delicious way to feature the amazing Beta vulgaris. Happy munching.

Dressing:

• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 T. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. honey
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or container. Whisk or shake until smooth, creamy, and emulsified. Set aside or refrigerate, if making ahead.

Salad:

• 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 medium yellow squash, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 bunch asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch lengths on the diagonal
• 1 orange pepper, cut into bite sized chunks
• ½ red onion, cut in half and then into thin quarter slices
• 2-3 c. frozen corn, defrosted and laid out on paper towels to dry
• extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 c. chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ c. chopped fresh basil leaves

Place the zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle the veggies with just enough olive oil to moisten; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a pre-heated 425 degree oven (convection if you have the option) for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the veggies from pan and allow to cool in a salad bowl.

Place the orange bell pepper and onion on the same pan, drizzle with just enough olive oil to moisten; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the veggies from pan and allow to cool with the other veggies.

Place the corn on the same pan, drizzle with just enough olive oil to moisten; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 8 minutes or until some of the kernels are turning light brown. Remove the corn from pan and allow to cool with the other veggies.

When all the veggies are room temperature, add the romaine, cherry tomato halves, and cut basil leaves to the salad bowl. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to thoroughly coat all the ingredients. Serve immediately.

Please note: You can make the dressing and roast the veggies ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Before you plan to serve the salad, remove the dressing and roasted veggies from the fridge. Allow enough time for both the dressing and veggies to come to room temperature.

I fell in love with a slaw while dining at a beer pub in Hawaii. I know! Who would expect to find a truly great coleslaw in a small town pub? But this slaw was beyond delicious. The worst part was that I hadn’t ordered a meal that came with the slaw. But my dear friend Vicki offered me a bite of hers because she thought it was so good. Well – one bite was all it took. I was hooked.

So as soon as I got back home, I started researching Hawaiian Won Bok Slaw dressing recipes. Of course first I tried searching on the brew pub site. No luck. Then I searched for Hawaiian Won Bok Slaw recipes. I found a couple of dressing recipes that at first glance looked like they contained the same ingredients as the dressing on the slaw that I had tasted. Close, but not one of the recipes looked just right. So I took bits and pieces from several recipes and came up with my first endeavor.

My first attempt was OK, but it was lacking. So I changed one ingredient and added a couple of others, and served the salad to our friends Jim and Margo. Well needless to say, it was a success. 

Now I have no idea whether or not this recipe is even close to what I tasted in Hawaii. It actually tastes like a Hungarian coleslaw if truth be told. But in the final analysis, who cares?!?! It’s delicious and easy to prepare. Besides, what’s in a name anyway?

• 1 T. sugar
• ¼ tsp. dry mustard
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• 2 T. mayonnaise
• 3 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. poppy seeds
• 4-5 c. thinly sliced Napa cabbage
• ½ c. shredded carrots

Whisk together the sugar, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. (Dry mustard tends to clump, so this simple step alleviates the problem.) Whisk in the oil, mayonnaise, vinegar, and poppy seeds. (Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.)

Combine the cabbage and carrot in a salad bowl. 20-30 minutes before serving, pour the dressing on the cabbage, toss, and refrigerate. Give the salad a good toss again just before serving. 

I am always looking for unusual and really tasty fruit salads. I had read that cantaloupe and cucumber were really delicious together, so I went on-line looking for a recipe that would feature these two ingredients. I found several recipes that looked interesting, but none were just what I was looking for. So taking bits and pieces from several recipes, and adding my own ingredients that I already knew were good with cantaloupe (black pepper and lime) and adding a bit of heat (Tajin Clásico Seasoning), I came up with this recipe.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to take a picture because I was too busy getting ready to serve 30 some guests before a JazzVox concert. (Having only two hands is also unfortunate at times like these.)

But people loved the salad, so you will just have to trust me when I tell you that not only is the salad terribly yummy, it is also very visually appealing.    

p.s. Next time I will try harder to get my act together, although keeping balls in the air is getting more difficult with each passing year! Any of you experiencing the same problem?

• ¼ c. fresh lime juice
• ¼ c. honey (local honey is best)
• couple grinds of black pepper
• pinch Tajin Clásico Seasoning* or sea salt
• 1 cantaloupe, cubed 
• 2 c. seedless red grapes, halved
• 1 tart apple, diced (I love Opal, Braeburn, or Honey Crisp for this salad)
• 2 ripe kiwi, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
• 1 English cucumber, partially peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced (not too thin)
• 1 T. minced fresh mint leaves

In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, pepper, and Tajin together. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated.)

Place cantaloupe, grapes, apple, kiwi, and cucumber in a large salad bowl; add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and place in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the fresh mint.

*Tajin Clásico Seasoning – a delicious blend of ground chili peppers, sea salt, and dehydrated lime juice. Available at large grocery stores or Mexican markets.

This is an Ina Garten recipe I discovered on the internet. I didn’t change a thing, except reducing the ingredient amounts to accommodate just the two of us. I used two cobs of corn rather than 5 and altered the remaining ingredient amounts accordingly.

Now usually I mess with a recipe as I prepare it. Not this time. I immediately felt that the restrained number of ingredients in this dish was genius. And I sure as heck didn’t want to add an addition flavor that might detract from the delicious taste of the corn. As it turned out, the balance of flavors in this simple salad is absolutely perfect.

So I’m not going to expound on this dish any more than I already have. Well, except to say that once again Ina has proven what an exceptional cook can do with a few straightforward ingredients. This is simply the easiest and best corn salad I have ever tasted. Try it, you’ll like it! And thanks again Ina.

• 1 T. cider vinegar
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 – 3 ears cold cooked corn on the cob, depending on the size of your ears (not the ones on your head; the ones off a corn stalk)
• ¼ c. chopped red onion
• ¼ c. fresh basil chiffonade*

Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper together in a salad bowl. Cut the kernels off the corn cobs and add to the dressing along with the onion. Stir in the basil and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Please note: If you plan to make the salad ahead of time, don’t add the basil until just before you plan to serve.

Serve cold or at room temperature.  

**Chiffonade (pronounced “shif-oh-nod”) is a knife technique used for cutting herbs and leafy vegetables such as lettuce into thin strips or ribbons. To chiffonade leaves of basil, stack the basil leaves and roll them into a tube. Then carefully cut across the end of the tube with a sharp knife to produce fine strips.