Roasted Potato and Radish Salad

I have a tendency to buy radishes because they are so beautiful and then not use them. These poor little radishes pictured here sat in my fridge for more than a week before I finally found a use for them in my lovely Potato cookbook. Amazingly, they were still in crisp and crunchy condition. 

This is a wonderful spring recipe and an excellent use of radishes. Although the radishes take center stage upon first glance, it's the potatoes that actually steal the show for me; I confess to being a roasted potato lover. And the dressing is also very good. In fact, it's wonderful because it overcomes the need to use catsup with the potatoes. (Everyone knows roasted potatoes normally go with catsup, right?) The combination of crispy potatoes, fresh radishes, and crunchy walnuts makes for some great texture and wonderful flavors. Aside from the time it takes to roast potatoes, this dish comes together quickly and is a lovely twist on brunch, lunch, or supper side dish. 

Serves 4. 

• 1 pound red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Olive oil 
• Powdered garlic 
• Italian seasoning 
• Sea salt 
• Freshly ground pepper 
• 8 radishes, thinly sliced 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 1 teaspoon agave or honey 
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generous sprinklings of garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning until well coated. Arrange potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until golden and slightly crispy - about 40 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and agave/honey. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as needed. 
4. When potatoes are done, place them on a platter or plates. Top with radishes, and drizzle with dressing. Finnish with walnuts. 
5. Serve immediately.