Sharon Hudgins discovered this recipe when she was living in the Russian Far East, where it was made with large white Japanese daikon radishes. The same recipe would be made in European Russia with the large, bulbous white radishes that grow there.

Ingredients

• 2 large daikon radishes, peeled and shredded

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• l to 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and shredded

• 4 to 6 tablespoons sour cream

Instructions

Place the daikon in a bowl and sprinkle the salt and sugar over the top and toss to mix well. Let the radishes sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer the radishes to a large sieve and press firmly on the shredded pieces to get out as much moisture as possible and discard the liquid.

Return the daikon to the bowl, toss with a fork to separate the pieces, and add the chopped hard-boiled eggs and shredded apple. Stir in sour cream, mixing gently but thoroughly and serve.

Common throughout the Southwest in home cooking but not so common in restaurants (who knows why?), this savory shredded meat burrito is a meal in itself. The word machaca is derived from the Spanish machacar, to pound, an apt description of the appearance of the meat. This recipe is from our late friend, Barbara Graham.

Ingredients

• 3-pound arm roast

• Water

• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped green chile

• 1 tomato, chopped

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 6 to 8 flour tortillas

• Chopped tomatoes

• Shredded lettuce

• Cheddar cheese as needed

• Sour cream (optional)

Instructions

Place the roast in a large pan with water to cover and simmer until tender and the meat begins to fall apart, about 3 to 4 hours. Remove the roast from the pan, remove the fat and bone, and shred the meat by hand or with a fork.

Return the meat to the pan, add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed by the meat. Place the meat in a large flour tortillas with the tomato, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream, if used.

Since zucchini is such a prolific producer in home gardens, we felt we had to include at least one recipe to give you a jump on the crop. We suggest serving the zucchini raw, but if you don’t like it raw, steam it for a minute or two.

Ingredients

• 1 pound zucchini

• 2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, cut into rings

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1/3 cup virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons corn oil

• 4 large shallots cut into 1/4 inch slices

• 1 large ripe avocado

• 10 large pimiento stuffed green olives, cut in half

• 3 cups mixed baby salad greens

Instructions

Clean the zucchini, cut it into 1 inch thick slices, and place it in a ceramic bowl with the serrano chiles.

In a small glass jar with a cover, combine the garlic, paprika, pepper, sugar, salt, vinegar, olive oil, and shake thoroughly. Pour enough of the dressing over the zucchini and chiles to coat it, and then toss the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Just before serving, drain off the dressing.

Heat the corn oil in a small saute pan, add the shallots, and saute them until they are light brown and toasty, tossing them frequently to avoid burning. Drain them on paper towels.

Peel and slice the avocado.

Place the salad greens on a serving dish and arrange the zucchini, avocado, and olives on top of the greens.

Shake the remaining dressing and pour it over the vegetables. Top the salad with the crisp shallots. Serve immediately.