Fun with Radishes

by Elizabeth Kelly

It is the dead of winter, spring is a month off and I am craving the return of the warmth. I'm taking note of every extra minute we have each day and chasing the stingy sunbeams that inch past my windows.

I usually love winter and all the warm hearty soups that go with it but this year I am anxious for it to go away so that I can meet family and friends outside again. I am tired of my four walls and seeing only the inside of the grocery store.

However, it was to the grocery store I went for inspiration to bring in a little summer, hoping to tease spring into peaking out a little early. I looked for any vegetables that reminded me of summer and came across the lovely radish. It's one of my favourites for summer, refreshing with a zing of mild heat, very different from other salad vegetables that often are low on the flavour scale.

The bright red of the outside contrasts sharply with the white inside flesh and both add a wonderful counter to the green of a salad. I thought it might be fun to create a salad plate and see what the radish could add.

In keeping with summer theme, I went with a pasta salad and decided to see what I could do with the radish to liven up the plate.

I started simple, quick easy cuts that aren't too difficult.

Sliced

For my salad, I sliced the radishes very thin and arranged them around the plate before adding the salad for a pretty plate arrangement.

Julienned

Sprinkle them on top of salad as a garnish. They go well with the dill vinaigrette.

I then spent a happy hour with YouTube, a paring knife, and some radishes. A little rough but it was a fun and creative.

It didn't bring spring but it kept me occupied on a snowy February day, dreaming of picnics.

Pasta Salad with Dill Vinaigrette

Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Yield: 6 c Servings: 6 - 8

Salad

5 c cooked pasta

1/2 c grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 c diced carrot

1/4 c diced celery

2 green onions sliced

Vinaigrette

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinaigrette

2 tsp dried dill

2 tsp minced onion

1 tsp honey (optional)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Freshly round pepper, to taste

Mix all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Add half vinaigrette to the pasta salad and toss. Taste and add remaining dressing as desired.