Green Salad With Radishes, Walnuts and Sesame Garlic Chickpeas

Radishes are kind of peppery, and for me, can be a bit overwhelming and make me feel like I’ve burnt my tongue if I eat too many of them.  But I do love their taste, so I generally have some in the fridge always intending to use them in a salad only to change my mind, cancel the salad and make something else like chocolate waffles, muffins, cake, etc…sigh.

This salad is not the only thing I have cancelled and then regretted.

Years ago, when we moved into our house, I put Roman shades on all the windows.  They were great until the house next door was built, the trees all grew up from seedlings and the bushes filled out.  Gradually, our house became like walking into the inside of a hat even at high noon.

So I decided to start replacing the shades with shutters, which had to be ordered according to measurement. And then I went on vacation to Europe.

First day there, I see a charge come across for custom made shutte.  Panic set in…and my brain clearly stopped functioning.

Custom made shutte?  Are you kidding me?  Someone stole my card number and ordered a custom made parachute?  Who would do that?  Seriously, was there a paratrooper somewhere that decided they needed a yellow, smiley face parachute for when the regular one just wouldn’t do?   Maybe there was a daredevil somewhere in the world whose current chute clashed with their jumpsuit, and they needed something in a nice neutral shade.

So I called my credit card company and asked them who or what had happened….and they had no clue.  Gee, thanks.  Glad you’re on top of things.

“Chute?  Are you sure it wasn’t someone in your family with access to your card who bought it? Your husband? Kids?

“No, since we are here together it could not have been a family member.”

‘“Did you ask them?”

“Pretty sure I don’t have to ask since it does not appear that anyone has recently lost their mind. Unless the dog got into the liquor cabinet back home and started drunk internet shopping.  She can be kind of a daredevil sometimes.  This sounds like something she would do. “

”So do you want to cancel your card?”

No.  I want to pay a fortune so some stranger can float to earth like a bedazzled butterfly.  Yes, I want to cancel my card.

And that is how I ended up 3000 miles from home with no credit card…..and no shutters on my windows for a few weeks longer than I had hoped.  Sigh.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups romaine lettuce, washed, dried and chopped
• 6 red radishes (approximately 1 bunch), thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced other radishes ( watermelon, daikon, etc.)
• 1/2 – 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic or 1/2 – 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon roasted  sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Dressing;

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons liquid sweetener ( agave, vegan honey)
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Toss chickpeas with olive oil, salt and garlic, then roast on a pan for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. Put walnuts on a separate baking sheet and roast for 5-7 minutes, stirring after 3 minute, and keeping a really close eye on them for the last 2 minutes.  No kidding, they will go from golden to burnt in a nanosecond.
4. As soon as the chickpeas come out of the oven, toss them with the sesame oil and seeds.  Allow to cool.
5. Make the dressing by putting all ingredients in a jar and shaking to combine.
6. Put the lettuce in a large bow, top with the radishes, onions, cooled walnuts and chickpeas.  Pour some of the dressing over the salad and serve immediately, or serve the salad in individual bowls and let people add their own dressing.  Do not overdress the salad and make it soggy; save the extra dressing for another salad or as a dipping sauce for bread.

Enjoy!