A Radish and Herb Salad That's on the Cutting Edge

A lettuce leaf is gossamer, floppy and delicate. A radish is sturdy and dense. They seem about as different as vegetables can be - until you slice that radish on a mandoline. Suddenly, it transforms from a bulky root into ethereal shavings. And when it’s tossed with vinaigrette, it can make for a light salad that defies the usual root-vegetable expectations. The same mandoline strategy can be applied to nearly any hardy root, stalk or vegetable that you could happily eat raw: fennel, celery, carrot, beet, turnip, kohlrabi, butternut squash, brussels sprouts. Here, I’ve applied it to a mix of radishes, fennel and celery tossed with a heap of deep green parsley leaves and a bracing lemon dressing. Not only does this salad give you a diverse and stunning range of colors, textures and flavors, it also provides a reason to dust off that mandoline. If you don’t have a mandoline, making this salad is as good an excuse as any for buying one. And you don’t need to invest in a pricey stainless-steel European import that weighs a ton and takes up far too much valuable cabinet space. The lightweight, plastic, inexpensive models will do just fine, and you can put them in the dishwasher. For the maximum flexibility, buy the kind that lets you adjust the thickness of the slices. Then use it often. But use it carefully. I have some strong mesh gloves meant for shucking oysters that I use to grasp whatever I’m slicing. I’m on my second pair of gloves; I sliced a nasty hole in the index finger of the first pair, but at least it wasn’t my flesh. Never use your bare hands. If you can find watermelon radishes, with their fuchsia-hued cores, slice them here for the prettiest salad. And if you want to switch up the herbs, you can mix the parsley with anything soft, like dill, basil or cilantro. As for the dressing, I whisked in Meyer lemon zest and juice because I like its mild sweetness. Regular lemon, cut with maybe a teaspoon or two of orange or tangerine juice, will also work nicely. Finally, for a salty tang, I sprinkled capers over the top. But if you’re not a capers fan, you can substitute some coarsely grated Parmesan. Or instead of grating, shave the cheese into pretty slivers or curls. You’ve taken your mandoline out, so why not use it for everything? Radish and Herb Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing
Time: 20 minutes 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced, preferably on a mandoline
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
4 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice, more as needed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed, for drizzling
4 cups fresh parsley leaves
2 celery stalks, very thinly sliced, preferably on a mandoline (1 cup), plus 1/2 cup celery leaves
6 radishes, very thinly sliced, preferably on a mandoline (1 cup)
1/2 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced, preferably on a mandoline (1 cup), plus 1/2 cup fennel fronds
2 teaspoons drained capers
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), as needed
Black pepper, as needed 1. In a small bowl, combine shallot and the lemon zest and juice. Let stand 10 minutes. Whisk in olive oil. 2. In a large bowl, combine parsley, celery stalks and leaves, radishes, fennel bulb and fronds, and capers. Toss in dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle in more oil and lemon juice, if necessary. Yield: 6 to 8 servings © 2015 New York Times News Service