Super-Tasty Ukrainian Radish Fall Salad to Make at Home

Simple and simply delicious

This time of year in Ann Arbor, we have an abundance of beautiful, fresh radishes at the market! One great way to eat them is with some Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter, a big chunk of fresh French Baguette from the Bakehouse, and a little fleur de sel sea salt. The other evening, I decided to do something completely different, shifting my culinary focus from France to Ukraine, where radish salads like this are quite common. I made the salad only with radishes, but I’ve since seen a number of other versions that include sliced salted cucumbers and a couple with hard boiled eggs as well. Add some or not, as you like!

To make the radish salad, pick up a bunch of fresh, local radishes. Slice relatively thin, or, if you’d rather, cut into small chunks. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and a splash of good cider vinegar like the barrel-aged Gingras XO from Quebec that we carry at the Deli. Toast a large handful of walnuts—I love the red walnuts we have at the Deli! I prefer to leave them whole and toast them fairly dark for this salad so their flavor comes through more effectively. Add a good bit of sour cream or yogurt. I prefer the latter, in great part because I love the Bellwether Farms Jersey Yogurt. Find it at the Cream Top Shop, 50 yards or so up the path from the Bakehouse! Add some chopped fresh dill and a whole bunch of freshly ground black pepper (we have a wonderful array of them at the Deli), and then mix well, adding more salt if you’d like.

Great with a thick, hand-cut slice of the Bakehouse’s Country Miche or True North Bread!

Season your salad