Growing up white trash without a lot of money, I always looked forward to the special treat of eating at Olive Garden. Mainly for the classy, high-dollar ambiance but also the SALAD…Now, as an adult that occasionally still gets excited about a ‘Tour of Italy,’ salads don’t do a whole lot for me. But in an effort to make a healthy side, with mostly seasonal ingredients, this dish was born.
Also, for me, eating radishes is what I imagine snacking on crunchy but somehow wet dirt is like. So, second to deep-frying, I turned to my second favorite food transformation process: pickling.
These little things elevate this salad to OG status. Also while making this dish, we learned a new trick that has changed every salad we will ever make.
greens with pickled radish
serves 6
- 1 pound of mixed greens, washed
- seeds of 1 pomegranate, about 1/2 cup
- 1 yellow tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 red tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pickled radishes*
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped, pale and green parts only
- farmhouse vinaigrette* to taste
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and dress it to taste. Serve immediately.
*pickled radishes
- 5-6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Mix all ingredients except radishes in a nonreactive bowl and stir in radishes. Allow to sit, uncovered at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour. Stirring every 20 minutes or so. Drain and serve.
*farmhouse vinaigrette
- 3/4 cup good olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons shallot, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 yolk of a hard-boiled egg
Place all ingredients other than egg yolk into a large bowl. Using the back of a large spoon, press egg yolk through a sieve into liquid, then whisk to combine. The yolk acts as an emulsifier and prevent the dressing from separating without changing the flavor of your vinaigrette.
Can be made up to a day ahead and kept refrigerated.
