Recipe Adapted From & Photo Credit: Food 52
People always ask me what I bring to the party or what do I serve in my home when entertaining guests. The assumption is that I must be serving up healthy, plant based foods and that would be correct. But, there is always a bit of compromise as I follow the 80/20 rule and if I want to have cheese and crackers for that 20% of the time I will!
That’s why I like this recipe – it meats my criteria for plant-based and healthy yet still makes for an indulgent party food. This recipe is both rustic and elegant. The salsa verde provides fresh brightness to the savory roasted radishes and the almonds give it a great crunch and your guests will be impressed to find out it’s quite good for them 😉
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large bunch radishes
1 T olive oil
¼ cup blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 T. capers
1 garlic clove
1 anchovy fillet
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste
lemon juice, to taste
kosher salt + pepper, to taste
8 thin slices of crusty bread, toasted (optional, I suggest gluten free red rice bread, toasted and cut into points)
Directions:
Make the salsa verde: Pound the herbs to a paste using a mortar and pestle or finely chop and smash with the back of your chef’s knife. Transfer the herbs to a small bowl. Next, crush the capers, garlic, and anchovy (smashing them together until they’re cohesive but not a paste) then add them to the herbs. Stir in the olive oil and chopped almonds and season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Prep the radishes: Remove stems and leaves from radishes and scrub well. Cut off the tails, then cut lengthwise into small wedges of roughly equal size.
To roast the radishes, toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and arrange in a single layer in a roasting pan. Roast at 400 degrees F for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until the radishes are soft and cooked through.
Preheat your broiler to medium-high. Once you’ve cooked the radishes place the pan under the broiler for a few minutes, until the radishes get slightly charred in spots. Watch them carefully and often so they don’t burn.
To serve as a side, pile the radishes on a serving platter, then generously spoon the almond salsa verde over the top. To serve crostini-style, spread a layer of almond salsa verde over your toasted bread, top with radishes, then spoon more almond salsa verde on top.
