Watermelon Radish
Our weekend shopping trip yielded something I’ve been after for quite a while. I’d seen them on TV and I’d read articles about them, and finally, there they were in the produce isle: watermelon radishes.
Watermelon radishes have a flavor that’s not harsh like many other varieties, and a distinct sweetness in the center. As I’ve read up on these, I realized that we had younger plants so I expected a bit of a bite on the end of them and was pleasantly surprised; they did indeed have a bite, but it was smooth yet peppery, and you could definitely get the hints of sweet if you didn’t eat the outer edges. It was a flavor that deserved to stand on its own a bit in a dish so the vehicle I chose for it was a simple salad.
I’d made a batch of dressing the other day to test the blender’s ability to emulsify vinaigrettes without the aid of any emulsifiers such as mustard. It used a raspberry vinegar and a touch of agave nectar for a bit of sweet and shallot for the depth of flavor.
I brought out the mandoline and sliced the radish into 1/16th inch-thick disks and let them marinate a bit in the vinaigrette, and then topped it with a bit of soft goat cheese, sprinkled it with a rough mince of chives and gave the final plating a thick pinch of fleur de sel.
The verdict? This was good. Plate licking good. It had a perfect balance of salt, sweet, bitter, bite and depth. It was a good illustration of not having to fuss too much with the food — simple flavors, tasting like themselves, blending into something that reaches beyond the individual ingredients.
And fortunately, I have two more of these little guys to slice up!
Watermelon Radish and Goat Cheese Salad
Raspberry Vinaigrette and Chive
4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
2 Small Watermelon Radishes, sliced 1/16th inch rounds
1 package of soft goat cheese (4oz)
minced chives
Fleur de Sel
Raspberry Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Directions:
Take the slices of radish and marinate them for 15-20 minutes in a thin coating of the vinaigrette.
Divide radish slices between plates evenly. Add small dollops of the soft goat cheese (hint: cut a corner of the little package and ’squeeze’ it out, cutting off bits with a knife or pinching them off) across the radishes. Sprinkle liberally with minced chives and, if desired, add a splash more of the vinaigrette. Before serving, dust with a medium (two-finger) pinch of fleur de sel.
Dressing: Raspberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1/3rd cup raspberry vinegar
1 small shallot, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons dark agave nectar or honey
1 cups grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together vinegar, shallot, honey (or agave nectar), a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Continue whisking briskly while pouring the oil in a steady stream. Once the dressing is emulsified, set aside and let flavors come together. Re-season as necessary.
Options and notes:
This dressing is best made a day ahead of time and will keep for around a week. The amount of oil can be adjusted to your liking; the above represents the usual 3-to-1 vinaigrette ratio though I prefer my dressings closer to broken. A mild extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil could be used in place of the grapeseed oil.
(Yes, these vinaigrette recipes will all look the same, pretty much!)
Bon appetit!