This week’s heat and humidity inspired me to think of some cooling, easy dishes to make that would satisfy both my taste buds and my lack of desire to turn on the oven.

A classic salad you find in Norway is ‘Reddik og Agurksalat‘, made from radishes and cucumbers. Both vegetables are staples in Norwegian cuisine. This summery plate can be served as a side with your favorite main dish or just as a light meal on days when temperatures soar.

Perhaps add a bowl of boiled new potatoes sprinkled with Norwegian sea salt and fresh dill?

Radishes and cucumbers are in abundance now and if you’ve followed me for a while, know I’m a huge advocate of local and seasonal food. While radishes have a spicy kick, when they’re in season they are also delightfully sweet, and I love this combination!

Radishes originate from China and are some of the oldest cultivated plants we have. They are easy to grow and develop in a really short time, hence it makes sense they also thrive in the Norwegian climate.

Radishes grew plentiful in the garden of my childhood home in northwestern Norway. It was the sign that summer was finally here and that pop of red color brightened up dishes. They are typically sliced thinly and added to salads, braised whole in butter and served as a side dish, added to open-face sandwiches with sliced cheese or just enjoyed on buttered toast.

Another way to enjoy radishes is to pickle them! The crunch and tanginess of the radishes in this summer salad are really lovely and they turn a gorgeous pink color too.

There are several ways you can pickle vegetables. Today I tried a slightly different pickling solution just for fun. You can find my best-ever pickling liquid recipe here for another version.

I could eat this salad all summer long as it’s just what my body craves when the heat gets too much for this Norwegian gal. Crunchy and refreshing paired against the sweet butter or romaine lettuce, the spiciness of the radicchio, and the cooling effect of the herbed sour cream dressing create the type of textural difference I love when eating a dish.

If you’re into a more hearty meal, add cucumbers and red onions to the pickling liquid recipe below and top them on a veggie hot dog for a true Nordic experience! 🙂

I was gifted Johnny’s special mango and habanero mustard (a very popular item in Sweden) by my Swedish friend Håkan that I squeezed on my hot dogs too… and now I’m in Scandinavian heaven 🙂

Happy (limited) summer cooking and hope you will enjoy these recipes!

REDDIK OG AGURKSALAT
(Radish and Cucumber Salad)

Serves 2-3

For the salad:
1 bunch radishes, sliced thin and pickled (see recipe below)
½ English cucumber, sliced thin
1 small head radicchio
1 small head of romaine lettuce, chopped
Pickled red onions, garnish (optional)
Handful of fresh dill, chopped for garnish

For the sour cream dressing:

½ cup (1.25 dl) vegan sour cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
Handful of chopped dill
Handful of chopped chives
Salt, pepper

To make sour cream dressing:
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

To plate the salad:
Place romaine lettuce and radicchio on a serving plate, top with sliced cucumbers, pickled radishes, onions if using, and dill. Drizzle with sour cream dressing and serve.

PICKLING LIQUID:

1 cup (2.5 dl) apple cider or cider vinegar
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
½ cup (1.25 dl) water
Juice of 2 limes
1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
3 green cardamom pods
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon chili flakes
3 whole cloves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 strips orange peel
5-6 peppercorns

Prepare whichever vegetables you are pickling first and place them in a mason jar or glass jar of choice.

Combine all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, and whisk well. Turn off the heat once the sugar has dissolved and pour over your vegetables.
Let cool with lid off for about 2 hours, then screw on lid and keep in the fridge until ready to use.