It's time for Weekend Herb Blogging, that ode to herbaceous edibles started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen! This week is being hosted by the wonderful Ulrike of Kuchenlatein (the same lovely lady that sent me all the homemade dandelion goodies).
Question: What are the two easiest things to grow in your garden?
Answer: Chives and radishes.
Chives are almost indestructible. My mother has had the same clump for 50 years. I once dug up a clump of garlic chives and threw it in the woods behind the house. The next spring it was doing fine, full of blossoms, apparently happy in its new shady home, unconcerned about the minor detail of not actually being planted.
Chives, a member of the Allium family (along with onion, garlic and leeks) are rich in vitamins A and C, contain folic acid, sulfur and iron, and are thought to aid digestion when sprinkled on food. (We've already done the Marjoram/Oregano debate, pictured with the chives)
Radishes are incredibly rewarding for the novice gardener. They germinate in 4 or 5 days in almost any kind of soil and are ready to eat in less than 3 weeks! Now, that's fast food!
Both the radish and its leaves are edible, and while the radish itself, is moderately high in Vitamin C, it's the leaves which have been used for medicinal purposes. Steeped and drunk as a tea they are thought to aid upper respiratory infections, colds and fevers.
My garden has been very kind this spring and gave me all of the vegetal ingredients for this salad, except the celery.
And the banderillas. They came from Spain… Olé !
Tuna and Radish Salad 
2 cans tuna 6 oz (190gr)
2 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green olives
1 tbs snipped chives
1 tbs whole oregano leaves
1 tbs snipped marjoram
some nice, whole spinach leaves
(a couple of banderillas)
Tarragon Vinaigrette
Combine tuna, radishes, celery, olives, chives and marjoram in a medium bowl. Add Vinaigrette to tuna and mix gently. Chop eggs, add to tuna and mix gently. Spoon onto spinach leaves and serve.
Tarragon Vinaigrette
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs white wine tarragon vinegar
2 tsp snipped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup olive oil – the good stuff
Combine mustard, lemon juice and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk together. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Add tarragon and mix.
Don't forget to stop by Kuchenlatein on Monday for the recap of all the wonderful recipes!
Bon Weekend!
Lucky you, to have such robust herbs and radishes in your garden! My own garden is not quite there yet!
This is just lovely, Katie!
So many good tasting things in this salad, along with my beloved canned tuna. Sounds just wonderful. I need to plant some radishes. Thanks for the reminder.
I love radish leaf soup.
I like radish leaves more than the root, I can handle it in a soup. I am green with envy, that you don’t have slugs. Yesterday I killed, yes meanwhile I am a killer, 20 slugs and I don’t feel ashamed.
Lydia, I have been lucky, touch wood. But now I think my tomatoes are ill…sob!
Thanks Christine
Kalyn, 5 years ago I wouldn’t have thought that tuna and radish would make such a good couple! I continue to learn…
Meredith, I am going to have to try radish leaf soup, you’re the second person to mention it. I have a new crop of radishes coming up in a week or so.
Ulrike, I do have little, tiny slugs, but I’ve never seen a big one… not like I’ve seen in Germany. Those things are scary. You are a brave woman to take them on and 20 in one day! I am impressed…and a little scared…
What lovely flavours! I can almost taste it 🙂
Oh, brava! Lucky you. I am such a failure growing chives, although my mom is as successful as yours. (Well, I haven’t managed to kill my garlic chives for several years, so maybe there’s hope.)
What a super duper salad. Ole!
Really nice salad, I have been looking at radishes now for some time, never being able to decide whether I should buy them or not but now I will!
What a mouthwatering salad. I love thuna and radish, so I have another must try for this week. Thanks for sharing. :))
Thanks Truffle, and maybe next spring(your season) you can 😉
CC, garlic chives are the Borg of the plant world. They do not DIE! They’re what I use early summer when the regular ones tend to go to flower… then they look pretty so I leave them…nothing to do with laziness!
Ilva, they had a nice crunhc and bit of spice to a lot of things: green salads, pasta salads, couscous…
Helene, I hope you enjoy it, thanks.
Oh… Your garden mush be lovin’ it right now!!! I can’t WAIT to start
a garden. I miss my San Diego garden… Oh well.. All looks D-lish!!!
Happy munching!! — Leesa
Lucky you to have fresh produce right at home 🙂 I live in an apartment…no balcony, not even a window box…anything you can suggest that will survive nicely potted and indoors?
That’s a delicious looking salad 🙂
Leesa, I could use some San Diego sunshine right now! My poor garden is suffering from an abundance of cloudy days.
Joey, cherry tomatoes would do well kept trimmed and staked, as would most herbs: basil, chives, parsley, summer savory; maybe even pots of thyme and oregano. In Ireland I grew lettuce in a pot – never enough for a salad but nice for sandwiches and garnishes. You could also do peppers…that’s all I can think of right now – good luck!