When it comes to summer salad, I want bite. No limp lettuce for me. As the temperatures rise, simple, raw, or mostly raw, vegetable platters are much more satisfying. Grated beet and carrot salad, zucchini “carpaccio,” slivered fennel, and just chopped herbs, to name a few. And this, a delectable and super easy green pea and red radish salad. I like a mix of snow peas and snap peas, cutting one half of the snow pea shell away to view the diminutive peas inside.
I leave the radishes raw, but salt them and let them stand while slightly blanching the peas. For the peas, plunge them in boiling water and quickly drain them. Turned onto a flat platter to cool, they get sprinkled with salt and a little olive oil. Alternatively, use soy sauce for salt and a few drops of toasted sesame oil. When cool, arrange the peas and radishes on a platter and serve at room temperature or cold if taking on a hike or a picnic.