I haven’t done much cooking lately.  I hate it when my life gets in the way of playing in my kitchen. Finally, I had time to cook.  It takes some time for spring to arrive to NH, but finally lilacs, asparagus, and even radishes are starting to appear and my window box herb gardens are flourishing.  With all these yummy tokens of spring, I ignored the work I “should” have been doing and dawned my apron.

I have read about roasted radishes on a few blogs lately and have been anxious to try my hand at them. I did these quite simply with quartered shallots, olive oil, and kosher salt. I stuck them in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes. They couldn’t have been easier.

Then I heated up my beloved cast iron grill/skillet.  I cut medallions from a loin, seasoned them with smoked salt and freshly ground pepper, and grilled them for about 8 minutes on each side.  I served these and the roasted radishes on a bed of arugula.

I felt like the pork wanted a light-herby sauce.  I walked upstairs to my herb garden and grabbed a mixed handful of basil, parsley, and mint. These went into my food processor along with a couple of tablespoons of dijon mustard, olive oil, a small shallot, and champagne vinegar. The result was very tangy and a lovely compliment to the pork.  I had the leftovers the next day as a dip with cucumbers and celery.

The farmers market opens in two weeks, school is almost out for the year, and my kitchen will soon be put through daily workouts.