Simple Winter Salad for a Nourishing Menu

Written on Feb 14, 2011 by Alison Ashton

As Lia noted in our Friday Digest e-mail update, we’re trying something new on Nourish Network: We’re building this week’s Monday/Wednesday/Friday posts around a single nourishing menu. (If you haven’t signed up for Lia’s Friday updates, you can do so on our homepage.)

This week’s menu is elegantly simply and seasonal with a subtle Italian flair that feels just right for late winter. Here’s what we have in store:

So, today we’re highlighting simple winter salads, and that gives me a chance to share this inspirational salad of shaved celery root (celeriac) and radishes. Now, celery root and radishes are pretty humble ingredients–in fact, celery root is downright homely. But it’s all about treatment, as I was reminded the other week,  when Richard and I lunched at at London’s Bocca di Lupo, Chef Jacob Kenedy’s Soho eatery that specializes in regional Italian cicchetti (small plates). I ordered the shaved celeriac and radish salad with pecorino mostly because I figured we could use a plate of something veggie-centric in what was shaping up to be an otherwise-indulgent meal.

It turned out to be one of the afternoon’s highlights. It was earthy yet bright and light–everything you want a winter salad to be. A drizzle of white truffle oil underscored the earthiness of the crunchy, paper-thin slices of celeriac and radish while the cheese added a pleasant salty hit and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds contributed a tart note and gorgeous color.

It’s a delicious starter in our menu, and, I can attest, hearty enough to stand alone for a light lunch or supper.

Categories : Kitchen Tips

Shaved Celeriac, Radish and Pecorino Salad with Pomegranates and White Truffle Vinaigrette

This simple dish is based on a winter salad served at London’s Bocca di Lupo. Get out your mandoline or Japanese slicer to shave the veggies and cheese, or use a very sharp knife to cut them paper-thin. If you don’t have white truffle oil on hand, substitute your best, most flavorful olive oil. The salad will taste just as fresh, if not quite as earthy.

1 (10-ounce) celeriac bulb, well scrubbed
12 radishes
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons white truffle oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Use a mandoline or Japanese slicer to shave the celeriac and radishes paper-thin. Combine in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil, juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the celeriac and radishes; toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes. Toss in the cheese and parsley. Mound salad on a serving platter; sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4-6