This time of year the early product starts to come in from our CSA typically lots of lettuces and other frost hard vegetables like Chard.  One welcome although often confounding inclusion is the Radish.  Most of the time I have eaten radishes raw with a giant pile of kosher salt, now don’t get me wrong this is a pretty good way to enjoy a vegetable – but I was looking for a little more after our fourth bunch of radishes in three weeks.

That was when really more by chance than anything The Mind Of a Chef was on in the background and I heard Chef Gabrielle Hamilton talking about a salad she makes with: watercress, lemon, radishes, and Fennel.  Given that I am no fennel fan a substitution was needed and quickly found.  What follows below is our radish and sweet onion salad.  This pairs really well with a rich piece of protein in need of something to cut the through the fat.  It also happens to be really bright and pretty good for you.

The Salad:

• 1 radish bunch.
• 1 bunch of Watercress.
• ½ of a medium sized sweet yellow onion.
• Juice of a Meyer lemon (or half a regular lemon).
• Table spoon of hot mustard or horse radish.
• Salt and pepper

Thin slice the halved onion, the radish and set aside in a large bowl.  Rough shop the watercress and add to the onions and radishes. In a smaller bowl place table spoon of mustard, a few grinds of a fresh pepper and a pinch of kosher salt.  Squeeze in the lemon and whisk together.  Dress salad, salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.  If you are making ahead do not dress until just before it hits the table.