Last week we got very ambitious and decided to make an entire Japanese dinner for Shabbat. Not the usual Friday night fare, but something celebratory. I went to the shuk looking for mizuna. It is usually available, if not at a regular vegetable stall, then at the one of the stalls that cater to the many Asians living in Tel Aviv. באסה (bassah - bummer), I couldn't find it.
I knew I wanted the peppery and fresh taste of mizuna and the only thing I could think of that was even close was rocket or arugula.
In Israel, the green with the larger leaf is called arugula and the green with the small tender leaf is called rocket. I am not sure how this came about, but that's the convention here.
I got the rocket - the smaller tender leaf green - and started home, very proud of myself. But of course as soon as I reached home, I decided that I wanted a daikon - which I have eaten many times but never used - and I sent Isaac back to the Asian stall, where I had just been, to retrieve it.
Not knowing at all what I was doing, I decided to make a composed salad. Rocket as the bed, with a mound of shredded daikon and a few extras for color, texture and taste.
BT's Very Fresh Daikon And Rocket Salad
Ingredients:
1 large, very firm daikon
1 medium bunch rocket - preferably with long stems
1 medium Israeli/Persian cucumber
2-3 scallions
1 ripe Hass avocado
2 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar or mirin
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 red chili cut in rings
2 cloves garlic - crushed
sprinkle black sesame seeds
sea salt
Directions:
Thoroughly wash rocket leaves and leave out to dry
Peel daikon
Mix dressing - garlic, vinegar, sugar, cayenne (or chili) and garlic - and put aside
Using a hand shredder slowly move from top to bottom of daikon in one motion to create long threads
Place shredded daikon in acidulated water to prevent discoloring
Use the same motion on the cucumber but do not add to acidulated water
Fine chop green onion
Peel avocado and slice in radial slices
To Assemble:
Strain daikon in a sieve and toss several times to remove any extra water
Add daikon to mixing bowl
Pour dressing over daikon and thoroughly coat threads
Place rocket in bottom of shallow bowl
Place daikon in a mound on top of the rocket
Place cucumber threads over daikon
Place green onion on top
Place avocado slices beside greens
Sprinkle salad with sea salt and top with black sesame seeds
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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