Always look for sea salt. Such things as table salt have that twang of the chemical industry about them. Experiment with sea salts as they can vary dramatically in shape and flavor. It’s amazing how a particular salt can be to a certain dish.
Back in March, my friends Brent and Harmony managed to score me a day pass to South By Southwest. It was incredibly kind of them, and so to show my gratitude I offered to make a multi-course dinner in return. Since they’re both vegetarians this was the perfect chance for me to burn through a bunch of salad and vegetable recipes from “The Cookbook”. A few of the courses were from recipes I’ve already covered like the Cucumber, Mustard, And Dill salad and Celery Salt And Boiled Eggs, but most were brand new, like this one.
I do feel a bit bad as this “recipe” isn’t really what most people would call a recipe. I consider it more of an insightful suggestion than anything else.
The morning before the dinner, my wife and I visited the Farmers Market in downtown Austin looking for the freshest possible ingredients. After picking up some green garlic, potted herbs and small cucumbers we came across these perfect breakfast radishes. Later on that evening, right before I needed to serve them, the radishes were scrubbed gently in cool water to remove any dirt.
A quick trimming of the tops and tails and the radishes were ready to be eaten. I served them alongside some nice unsalted butter and coarse sea salt. This method is wonderful because it allows you to tailor each bite to your particular desires. The radishes on their own had a very crispy, firm texture with a subtle and pleasing bitterness. Brent really seemed to enjoy the simple, straightforward presentation and said as much as we munched away.
Once we had finished eating the radishes, I washed the leftover leaves, tore them slightly and dressed the whole lot with a simple vinaigrette. Harmony is a big fan of pepper, so the intensely powerful leaves were right up her alley. The bitterness and staggering bite were just too much for me so I gladly surrendered the entire bowl.
One down, seventy four to go.
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