Happy Fine Art Friday! This week’s art and recipe is all about texture and opposites. Cooling, tart, and smoky yogurt, soft, warm, red radishes, and crunchy, vibrant watermelon radishes. And without sounding too much like I’m in a grad school art critique- the shades of red, pink, and green add a striking visual component to the dish, highlighting the natural beauty and simplicity of the ingredients. This salad will wake up the senses, and is the essence of spring. It’s the perfect weeknight pick me up that you’ll want to eat all season long.

Raw and Roasted Radishes with Charred Lemon Yogurt

Ingredients:

1 small lemon, pithy ends removed, thinly sliced and seeds removed

1 Tbsp + 2 1/4 tsp olive oil

kosher salt

1 C full fat Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp citrus chili salt

1 bunch red radishes, sliced in half

1 large watermelon radish, thinly sliced and cut in half

aleppo pepper

sumac

fresh basil

roasted sunflower seeds

Coat lemon slices in 1 tsp olive and a pinch of salt on a large baking sheet. Broil on high heat for 7-10 minutes on a rack in the top 1/3 of the oven until the lemons are charred in some spots. In a food processor, add charred lemon, yogurt, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and chili citrus salt. Pulse until completely smooth. Chill in refrigerator while the radishes are roasting.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a baking sheet, coat halved red radishes with 1 tsp of olive oil and a liberal sprinkling of salt. Roast for 10 minutes until soft.

Plate salad by smearing a thick layer of the charred lemon yogurt on a plate, approximately 2-3 tablespoons. Arrange warm, roasted radishes on top of yogurt. Place sliced, raw radishes in between the roasted radishes. Top with torn basil, roasted sunflower seeds, a sprinkling of chili citrus salt, aleppo pepper, sumac, and a drizzle of olive oil.

This dish is best served right away to really highlight the different temperatures and textures of the ingredients.