French Breakfast Radish and Mache Sandwiches

While clearing out the garden for spring vegetables, we discovered a row of French Breakfast radishes we had forgotten about.  The plants have been completely ignored since we started the seeds last September, but they have thrived nevertheless.   If you think of radishes as nothing more than a salad garnish, this recipe will open your eyes to the potential of radishes as the star ingredient.  With a great peppery flavor, crunchy texture and beautiful color, our radishes are incredible.  Here we combine the radishes with mache from the garden, another vegetable that has loved our long, cold (well, Houston's version of cold) winter.  One bunch of radishes and their greens combined with the mache makes a wonderful salad and sandwich.  Eaten together, an amazing meal celebrating the radish.

French Breakfast Radish and Mache Salad and Sandwiches
adapted from Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells


Ingredients

Dressing

1/2       Tbs             fresh lemon juice
1/8        tsp             sea salt
1/4        cup            1/2 and 1/2 or light cream
1           oz              finely minced green bunching onions or chives

Salad and Sandwich

3          cups           mache (photo above) or butter lettuce
8                            french breakfast radishes, washed,
                              thinly sliced, and leaves reserved
2          Tbs            unsalted butter at room temp
                              zest of 1 lemon
4                            slices pumpernickel bread
                              coarse sea salt

Procedure

1. Make dressing:  Combine lemon juice and salt well.  Add half and half and onions and blend well.  Season to taste.
2. Tear mache into bite-sized pieces.
3. Slice radishes into thin rounds.  Set aside one quarter of the radishes, then cut remaining radishes rounds into thin strips.  Finely chop the radish leaves.  Place radishes and leaves on paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
4. Combine butter and lemon zest.  Add radish strips and chopped radish leaves and mash everything together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Spread mixture on toasted rye bread slices.  Add radish rounds on top, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.

1. For the salad, combine remaining radish rounds with mache leaves.  Add dressing to lightly coat the greens.  Season with sea salt and serve.