HOUSE SALAD

Yields 4 to 6 servings

This recipe is really a general outline for a delicious, light, and crisp salad. It is not always easy to find watermelon radishes, though more often than not your local greenmarket will carry them in spring and summer. They are beautiful and vibrant, with a spicy crunch. When they are not available you can substitute thinly sliced raw baby beets or turnips. The salad is just as good with any other type of thinly shaved crunchy vegetable too.

4 red radishes

1 watermelon radish

1 large carrot

2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce

1 ripe avocado

Kosher salt

Tarragon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1 cup pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, or microgreens

On a mandoline or with a sharp knife, carefully slice the radishes and carrot into paper-thin slices. Transfer to a bowl of ice water and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to a day.

Cut the stems from the lettuces and arrange the leaves on a large serving platter, discarding any outer leaves that are discolored or torn.

Arrange the vegetable slices over the lettuce leaves. Peel and pit the avocado and cut it into small wedges. Scatter these on top of the lettuce and vegetables. Sprinkle a few pinches of kosher salt over the salad and spoon the tarragon vinaigrette liberally over everything. Finish with a garnish of sprouts or microgreens.

TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

Yields about ⅔ cup

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

½ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

Kosher salt

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl until combined. In a slow, steady stream, begin adding the olive oil, whisking continuously until emulsified. Finish by whisking in the tarragon and season with salt.