Is there any cooler veggie than a watermelon radish? If you’re looking for excuses to swipe up a handful of these beauties at the farmer’s market this weekend, look no further. Hyper-local L.A. caterers, HeirloomLA, keep busy feeding half of Hollywood for pool parties, screenings, and other A-list events around town – and apparently this salad has been a popular request among many the actresses on the rise. This high-fiber, nutrient dense salad is drool-worthy in the best way, but still totally appropriate to eat in a bikini even pre-screen time. Summer food just doesn’t get better than this!
This vegan salad from our summer delivery menu includes the wild lemon cucumbers of summer, toasted Kenter Canyon barley (or wheatberries), Munak Ranch cherry tomatoes and JF organics other-worldly watermelon radishes. Enjoy!
Heirloom LA’s Wheatberry + Watermelon Radish Salad
Makes 4-6 portions
Supplies:
boiling pot (1 gallon)
colander
sauté pan
mixing bowls (2 each)
baking sheet
cutting board
chef’s knife
Ingredients:
3 cups dry barley / wheatberries
8-10 cups filtered water
2-3 cups cherry tomatoes, stems picked and cleaned
4 each lemon cucumbers or other cucumbers, cut in wedges
2 each watermelon radishes or other large radishes, peeled and shaved thinly
2 heads Belgian endive, sliced and soaked in ice water
1 cup lemon dressing/sweet salad dressing
2 cups soft herbs, chopped (basil, dill, cilantro, mint, marjoram, parsley, etc.)
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, to taste
For the lemon dressing:
equal parts lemon juice and honey
olive oil equal to lemon and honey combined
1 spoonful of mustard
salt and pepper
Directions:
In boiling pot, simmer water, barley and 1/4 cup of salt until tender. Strain from water, transfer to baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil until cool to the touch. When cool, drizzle with half the vinaigrette, soft herbs and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat sauté pan over medium heat. Toss cherry tomatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper and pour into sauté pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until the first one pops. Immediately remove from heat and pour over barley on baking sheet.
In mixing bowl, season cucumbers, radish and endive with salt and pepper, lemon vinaigrette and the remaining soft herbs. Toss to coat.
Layer barley and vegetables into platter for service. Drizzle with olive oil before you serve.
For the lemon dressing: Combine ingredients in jar and shake vigorously.
