A Rad Dish of Radish + Salmon + Buttermilk Dressing

Radishes are in season again! And speaking of what's in season, did you know that radish is one of the vegetables that are easiest to grow? They sprout quickly, grow quickly, and within a matter of four or five weeks, you'll be ready to harvest. I've just started some watermelon radishes indoors a couple of days ago and they've already sprouted. The countdown begins!

I love fresh radish because it gives salads color and a good crunch. Especially for those of us coming out of winter, nothing beats a good spring salad. Radish is tricky because although its color is very enticing, not many people know what to do with it. Here's my favorite take on it. You can substitute salmon with quinoa if you want to go veg but still get protein. I served it with quinoa to guests for dinner tonight and I had to make a second batch. Who knew a salad could be such a hit?

You need:

Salmon, seasoned and baked at 350 degrees until it is cooked.

Or quinoa, cooked according to package instructions.

4-5 radishes, depending on how many people you're serving

Baby greens - I like arugula and spinach

A handful of pine nuts, toasted

Feta cheese

Buttermilk dressing

Juice of one lemon

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 crushed garlic clove

3-4 tablespoons buttermilk

1. Mix all the liquid ingredients together in a small bowl.

2. Add the crushed garlic clove. I like using a crushed garlic clove instead of chopped garlic to mute down that intense flavor. Crushing the garlic but leaving it mostly intact lets the juices escape but not so it overpowers your dressing. Let it sit in your dressing mixture, but take it out after a minute or two.

3. If you're using quinoa, dress it with the buttermilk dressing in a bowl a spoonful at a time. You're not making soup so make sure the quinoa doesn't drown in dressing. Keep tossing with a fork and keep tasting to know when to stop adding dressing.

4. Add your chopped radishes and add another couple spoons of dressing.

5. Add your greens and add dressing a spoonful at a time until you get the right seasoning and dressing in distributed evenly.

6. Top with freshly toasted pine nuts and crumbled feta.

7. Do a cartwheel (mental is fine) and serve immediately.

#lowcarb #food