Christmas Salad

On the Menu Today~
Christmas Salad

This salad has the classic Christmas colors,
Red, Green and White....
"Red" from the Watermelon Radish,
"Green" from the Cucumber and Avocado and
"White" from the Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese.

I recently stopped at Nicolet Farms to see if they had horseradish root.
I found potatoes, beets, onions, and a few other root vegetables.
They didn't have any horseradish root but
they did have black radishes and watermelon radish.
I picked up a watermelon radish,
A "new" to me vegetable.

What is a Watermelon Radish??

A watermelon radish is a root vegetable.
It's an heirloom Chinese Daikon radish and
a member of the mustard family.
It ranges in size from a golf ball to that of a soft ball.
The watermelon radish above that I purchased, is the size of a large soft ball!

Sometimes called "Rose Heart Radish" or "Red Meat Radish."
Watermelon radish is available year round,
but are most commonly available in spring or late fall.
Watermelon radish are creamy white to light celery green on the outside and
the inside has a rose to magenta color.
Even though it's called watermelon radish,
it doesn't taste like watermelon.
It's called watermelon radish due to it's color contrast
which is similar to that of a watermelon.
Sweet, crisp, refreshing,
watermelon radish adds a splash of color to any salad.

Watermelon radish has a mild,
earthy flavor with only a slight peppery taste.
It has a smooth crisp texture and a nice crunch.
Watermelon radish can be served fresh or cooked, hot or cold.
Watermelon radish pairs well with fennel, apple, feta, chevre, bacon,
white fish, cucumbers, mild salad greens, cooked eggs and vinaigrette.

This delicious salad has a great blend of flavors:
Avocado adds a nice creaminess,
Garlic and herb goat cheese adds a wonderful tang,
Bacon adds a rich smokiness and the
Crunchiness comes from the sliced onions, watermelon radish and cucumber.
For me, egg wedges are a must on any salad~

The secret to making this salad special is thinly slicing the onion,
watermelon radish, and cucumber.
This allows the flavors to blend together,
without allowing one flavor to take over.

Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing is light and fruity
perfect for this salad.
You can make your own dressing or to save time,
I like to use a bottled vinaigrette.
My favorite for this salad is:
Kraft Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

Christmas Salad

Ingredients

• 1 bag iceberg garden salad mix, (4 serving size)
• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 1/2 small watermelon radish, thinly sliced and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 avocado, peeled and cubed
• 1 small English cucumber, thinly sliced, cut in half
• 8 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and each cut into 4 wedges
• 4 ounces garlic and herb goat cheese, crumbled
• sweet balsamic vinaigrette or vinaigrette of your choice

Cooking Directions

1. Divide salad mix between 4 serving plates.
2. Top salad greens with onions watermelon radish, avocado and cucumber.
3. Divide crumbled bacon between plates, roughly 2 slices per serving.
4. Top salads with 1 quartered egg per serving, top each serving with crumbled garlic and herb goat cheese.
5. Serve with a Balsamic Vinaigrette or Vinaigrette of your choice.

Salad, Radish, Christmas