Radish Salsa

Makes: About 2 cups

Time: 30 minutes

F M V

Serve this colorful salsa with any tamale (page 394) or quesadilla (page 620), or simply a big bowl of tortilla chips; it also makes a fine garnish for almost any dish.

• 2 cups chopped radish (like daikon, red, or a combination; about 1 pound)
• ½ English cucumber, peeled and diced
• ½ small red onion, minced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chile (like jalapeño or Thai), or to taste, or red chile flakes or cayenne to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper

Stir all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more chile, lemon juice, or salt as needed. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a day.

Cucumber Salsa Replace the radish with additional diced cucumber and carrot (about 1 medium each), the red onion with 1 large shallot, and the lemon juice with lime. Omit the garlic. Add 1 tablespoon rice vinegar.

Green Papaya Salsa Substitute peeled, seeded, and shredded green papaya for the radishes; replace the scallions and red onion with 1 thinly sliced large shallot; use lime juice instead of lemon. Add 1 tablespoon rice vinegar.