I was looking for something bright and fresh to pair with Alison’s Clam Pasta. Seeing that it’s already well into summer, and the timeliness of a “spring” recipe grows less with every passing day, I decided to give this recipe a try. As I suspected, pea tendrils were out of the question (I never saw Whole Foods carry them, and I looked all Spring!). But I was able to use some leftover watercress as a substitute.
The dressing for this salad is simple. At first glance, it made far less than I thought needed, but it seemed to be just enough once mixed with the vegetables. It includes chopped anchovies, scallions, finely chopped lemon, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Olive oil gets drizzled over everything just before serving.
Once the snap peas are halved lengthwise and the radishes finely sliced, they can get familiar with the dressing, sans olive oil, to begin softening and soaking up the flavor. Just before serving, I tossed the fresh tarragon and watercress with the other vegetables and added a tinch more lemon juice with the olive oil to bring it all together.
I don’t think I’ll ever crave this salad, but I will think of it in the Spring and Summer months when I’m cooking a heavier entree. All of the dinner guests enjoyed it but didn’t ask for seconds. That seems to be the general response to Alison’s salads (other than her “knife-and-fork” ones, which are real crowd-pleasers.)
104 recipes cooked, 121 to go.
