May 23, 2013

Spring Sandwich


The first sight of ruby red radishes is always such fun, finally- some fresh food is in season! We have had a few days of hot and humid weather here and I've been feeling less like cooking and more like 'assembling'. This little open faced treat was born out of a need to cut down on my daily cinnamon toast (what is it with this baby and her sweet tooth? honestly it's her, not me!), and the new abundance of fresh radishes and greens. It's quick and easy and also has quite a kick, just what I need to satisfy those afternoon cravings. 

Open Faced Radish Sandwich with Arugula Spread: this recipe makes about a half pint of the arugula spread, the leftovers will store well in the fridge covered for a week. it will freeze, but loses its vibrant color. i prefer kale pesto for freezing!
  • crusty loaf of bread, sliced
  • one small bunch of radishes, thinly sliced
  • two handfuls of arugula
  • 3 tbs toasted sunflower seeds
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on your tolerance for raw garlic and whether it's date night)
  • 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 c olive oil, plus more for brushing bread
  • splash of brown rice vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
Combine the sunflower seeds and garlic in a food processor until well blended. Add the arugula, parmesan, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Pulse until smooth. 


Thinly slice the radishes and drizzle them with brown rice vinegar. Slice the bread, brush each piece with olive oil, and toast or broil just until lightly browned.

Spread each slice of bread with the arugula spread, layer on the radishes, and top with salt and pepper to taste. Easy!


It's always fun to stumble on a simple snack that is also reasonably healthy and fresh tasting. I will warn you that the combination of arugula, raw garlic, and radishes is quite spicy. Little Smith is generally okay with radishes and enjoys pesto, so I thought he might be on board...


... the verdict? Too spicy, or actually 'doo picey mama'! Not the most pleasing for little people I suppose, but mama is more than happy to finish it all. Happy Spring!

11 comments:

  1. Wow - my mouth is watering!! I have some radishes in my fridge right now, but it's that pesto and bread that looks the best to me. At almost 10:30pm I don't think I can satisfy this craving tonight! Perhaps Saturday... a day for special lunches:) Good for your son to try it - mine would have refused outright, he's in a difficult food phase right now.

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  2. Whoa, man. Arugula and radishes are some of my favorite things. This looks amazing! And I love how littles say "picey" - is that universal? It kills me with the cute.

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  3. Helloo, I'm making this so soon! I love radishes, too, but my kiddos find them too "ficey" to eat. I can probably use tomatoes on theirs.

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  4. Yum! My arugula needs to start getting picked. I was going to make pest this weekend - now I think I'll be adding your arugula spread to my list. Happy weekend!

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  5. Looks good! Have a good weekend! :)

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  6. This looks amazing. You come up with the healthiest meals!

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  7. thank you! we've been getting radishes in our csa box and i have NOTHING to do with them aside from salad.

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  8. Yummy!! We saw some radishes at the farmer's market Saturday, but couldn't think of what to do with them. Next weekend we will be all over 'em!!

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  9. Very fancy sandwich. Looks awesome. :)

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  10. This looks amazing. I would love it with some kind of creamy soup. Way to spoil the health vibe though! Thanks for sharing.

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