Salad with Ghee Poached Radishes and Smoked Salt

Sarah B. of My New Roots hardly needs an introduction. Her blog has been a major source of inspiration for a long time now, and I look forward to her new posts, which are always full of interesting culinary ideas and encouraging nutritional facts. Sarah has a talent for explaining the benefits of whole foods in a friendly, approachable, yet very knowledgeable way, which without fail leaves me hungry after reading her posts. Sarah was one of the few people to see an early copy of our cookbook and wrote a very kind review, for which we are thankful.

Sarah’s new, much anticipated cookbook is a beauty, full of inspiring photographs, engaging writing and appetizing recipes. She covers the basics – sprouting, nut milks, ghee and the like – and then goes on to presenting delicious, healthy recipes for all five seasons, dividing Summer into Early and Late Summer (with which I agree with much enthusiasm – those two are quite different in terms of produce).

I chose to make this spring salad with Ghee Poached Radishes, having never tried cooked radishes before. I immediately regretted waiting to try it as long as I did. Sautéing radishes rids them of any bitterness, transforming them into mildly sweet, silky spheres. I even threw them on pizza, which turned out delicious. Smoked sea salt is another interesting ingredient that this recipe calls for. I bought a bottle of it months ago but could never find a dish to incorporate it into. I was happy to finally utilize the beautiful, grey colored salt in this recipe, and it worked perfectly with the buttery radishes.
Among the recipes I plan on trying from the My New Roots cookbook are Caramelized Fennel on Herbed Polenta, Roasted Cauliflower with Lebanese Lentils and Kaniwa, Ginger-Rosemary Roasted Grapefruit, Salt ‘n’ Pepper Chocolate Chip Cookies, and I’m confident that any reader of this blog will benefit from having Sarah’s book on their kitchen bookshelf.

Salad with Ghee Poached Radishes and Smoked Sea Salt

1 bunch radishes – tops removed
2 tablespoons ghee (I’ve also tried unrefined neutral coconut oil here, it works well)
2 garlic cloves – minced
pinch of sea salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey or pure maple syrup
about 3 cups arugula or other salad greens (the original recipe calls for dandelion)
smoked sea salt – for sprinkling over the salad
sunflower sprouts or other microgreens for garnish – optional

1. Slice radishes in half lengthwise or quarters for bigger sized ones.
2. Melt the ghee (or coconut oil) in a large pan over medium low heat. Add garlic and saute for about one minute. Increase the heat to medium and add radishes, cut side down, together with a pinch of salt. Saute for about 10 minutes until they become translucent and tender, but not mushy.
3. Drizzle the vinegar over the radishes and toss to coat. Remove the pan from heat and drizzle honey over, tossing to incorporate.
4.  Arrange arugula or your greens of choice on plates, top with radishes and drizzle the juice from the pan over the salad. Garnish with microgreens, if using, and season with smoked sea salt.