Radish, Ginger, and Nuts with Blue Cheese

Radish, Ginger, and Nuts with Blue Cheese

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

I discovered the most delicious radishes in Kabul and developed a minor obsession with this spicy ingredient, which lead me to develop the following recipe:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter
2 cups radish (use either quartered red radishes, or sliced and quartered daikon radishes)
1 cup white wine
½ cup pecans or walnuts, quartered
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly chopped ginger

Toppings:
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
Minced parsley

Instructions

Heat the butter in a pan. When it has melted, add the radishes.

Sauté until they sizzle in the pan, then pour in about ½ cup of white wine.

Add the pecans or walnuts to the pan, along with the brown sugar. Sauté for about 10-15 minutes, adding more wine as it is absorbed.

Add the brown sugar and ginger, then sauté another 2-3 minutes.

When the radishes are soft, remove from heat, toss in the blue cheese, top with parsley and serve warm.

Heat scale: mild

Wilted Chinese Cabbage

Wilted Chinese Cabbage

Dave DeWitt Vegetables, Vegetarian and Other Leave a Comment

For a variation, or to make a more substantial salad course, serve the radish salad over wilted Chinese cabbage:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 cup white wine
1 head of Chinese cabbage, separated, rinsed
Fresh cumin seeds (use powdered if you don’t have fresh)
Salt & Black pepper

Instructions

Melt the butter in a wok or other large pan, add the onion and sauté until translucent.

Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add the wine and bring to a boil, then add the cabbage all at once (don’t worry, it shrinks). Use a pair of tongs to turn the cabbage in the pan as it cooks.

When the cabbage has wilted down, add a sprinkle of cumin, then salt & pepper to taste.


Serve the wilted cabbage on a plate, topped with the radish salad.

Birinj Kabuli

Birinj Kabuli (Kabul Party Rice)

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This is a special dish prepared for celebrations when guests are expected. If pine nuts aren’t available, pistachio can be substituted. The Afghans use lamb tail fat to sauté the onions, but since this is not readily available, I suggest butter.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chopped fresh green chile, such as serrano
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 large onions, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup shelled piñon or pine nuts
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1 tablespoon each, ground cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin

Instructions

Place the carrots in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, then drain. Melt the butter in a skillet at medium temperature, add the onion, and sauté until lightly brown. Combine the drained carrots, rice and onions, and stir in the remaining ingredients while simmering over low heat for about 10 minutes.

This is an excellent side dish with meat, fish or poultry.

Heat scale: medium