Heirloom Rainbow Daikon Salad

Some vegetables seem to have it all.

High in Vitamin C, low in carbs, pretty as a hothouse flower but a thousand percent local, heirloom daikon radishes are jewel-colored, crunchy, and absolutely packed with antioxidants. They’re also one of the very simplest vegetables to prepare.

Small wonder they’re a customer favorite of ours at Boyne City winter farmers market.  

At our organic farm, if we’re not slicing them on a platter and calling it good, we’re chopping them into matchsticks and dressing them with a simple Asian-inspired vinaigrette. A dash of black sesame seeds is optional, but classy.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound heirloom daikon radishes in a mix of colors *

½ cup neutral refined oil, like sunflower

6 dashes toasted sesame oil †

6 dashes Asian fish sauce

2 dashes soy sauce (or soy sauce alternative)

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons ume plum vinegar

PREPARATION

To make short work of chopping the radishes into matchsticks, slice the radish in half lengthwise—that’s Prime Meridian, not Equator. Now you’re going to lay the radish on its flat side, and make a bunch of long, even cuts all the way through, almost as if you were using one of those old-timey hard-boiled egg slicers. Turn those long slices on their sides, stack them up, and slice through them all again. That’s the fast way to make matchsticks.

Toss all the vinaigrette ingredients in the bottom of a medium size salad bowl, throw in your stunningly chopped radishes, and serve.

*Find heirloom daikon at Boyne City Winter Farmers Market, which takes place indoors from October through May at Boyne City Hall, Saturdays from 9 am to noon, or sign up for a winter farm membership with us here.

† If you don’t have these particular vinegars and sauces on hand, it’s okay to use any kind of vinaigrette you like. Even prepared Italian dressing will taste fine, but do keep in mind that darker colored dressings like balsamic vinaigrette will darken those beautiful colors, though.