Radish and Pear Slaw

Radishes are not something we eat very often...not for any specific reason, we just don't seem to buy them. I had some in the fridge to use, and wanted to do something other than thinly slice them and add them to a salad!

The last pear in the fruit bowl inspired me to combine the two in a slaw, and I dressed it with olive oil and rice wine vinegar.

I served the slaw with a mixed green salad, using the same dressing, topped it with the small piece of blue cheese in the fridge, and added some baked chicken thighs. The crisp, peppery radishes worked very well with the slightly softer, sweet pear. I think we might be eating more radishes....

I saved the radish greens, thinly slicing them and adding them to a risotto. No waste, which is the way I like it!

Combine:

6 radishes, cut into matchsticks
1 pear, cut into matchsticks
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of salt

Add the dressing:

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Gently mix to combine, and coat the radish and pear with oil and vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning.





Serve the slaw on its own, as a side salad, or as part of another salad as I did. I added it to mixed greens, green beans and blue cheese and added some baked chicken thighs.

• Radishes have a lovely crisp texture, and a peppery flavour. Always taste one before adding them, sometimes they can be quite intense, and thinly slicing or cutting them into small pieces works best in this case.
• Radishes can also be roasted, or sauteed, just like any other root vegetable.
• Any firm, sweet fruit will be a complement to the radish...try apples, Asian pear or grapes.
• Instead of radish, try jicama...it has a crisp texture, but sweeter taste than radish.
• I sliced both the radish and pear on a mandoline. They can be grated instead.
• The slaw can be made up to an hour ahead, as the vinegar will slow the oxidation of the pear.