Here's a salad to celebrate the first crop of spring radishes. Sliced paper-thin, the crisp radishes are tossed with tender Boston lettuce and a tangy, lemony vinaigrette. Then the salad is dotted with deliciously smoky, grilled fingerling potatoes -- a mouthwatering salad that's perfect warm-weather fare!
Wine pairing: Try a full-bodied Greco di Tufo from Campania (Italy) with this hearty salad. If you want to taste one of the best Greco di Tufos ever made, try Sabino Loffredo's. He is the gifted winemaker of the Pietracupa winery and crafts outstanding wines. Loffredo's Greco di Tufo has complex aromatics that pair marvelously with the vinaigrette, while its weight and smoky notes are superb with the grilled potatoes - every sip as mouthwatering as the salad itself! You can find it online at 67wines.com or Astorwines.com (type Pietracupa or Greco di Tufo in the search box).
Serves 4
Active time: 30 min
For the vinaigrette
1 small garlic clove - skinned and crushed (use a microplane grater)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the potatoes
2 large garlic cloves - skinned and crushed (use a microplane grater)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb (455 g) fingerling potatoes - unpeeled, left whole and boiled until tender
For the salad
1 medium Boston lettuce - leaves torn in 2" pieces
8 medium radishes - trimmed and cut in 1/16" slices (use a mandoline)
1/2 small bunch fresh chives - cut in 1/2" slices (2 tablespoons)
Step 1: To make the vinaigrette - Place the garlic, mustard, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
Step 2: To grill the potatoes - Preheat a grill or griddle on high. Place the garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until well blended. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and add them to the garlic/oil mixture. Toss carefully until the potatoes are well coated. Grill the potatoes on each side until charred. Place the grilled potatoes back in the bowl with the garlic/oil mixture and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
Step 3: Place the lettuce and radish slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with two thirds of the vinaigrette and toss until well coated. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with the grilled potatoes. Drizzle with the balance of the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the chives and finish with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve while the potatoes are still warm.
