Prep time: 35 minutes

Serves 2

The thinner you can slice the components of this carpaccio, the prettier it will be: like colorful, intertwined ribbons on the plate. To make the dish more sustaining, you can top it with a little soft cheese. But you might prefer to let the dressing shine on its own for a light lunch.

You'll have some dressing left over.

Adapted from "Vegetarian" by Alice Hart (Lyons Press, $24.95 paperback, 256 pages).

INGREDIENTS

For the horseradish dressing:

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

4 tablespoons walnut oil

1 tablespoon finely grated horseradish, or more to taste

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

Pinch superfine sugar

2 tablespoons cold water, if needed

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the carpaccio:

2 radishes, with leaves, scrubbed, about 2 ounces

3 baby carrots (not baby-cut), about 3 ounces

3 baby zucchini, about 4 ounces

One 2 1/2-inch piece cucumber, peeled, halved and deseeded, about 4 ounces

2 ripe but firm baby avocados, halved and pitted

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons dressing (see above)

1 tablespoon alfalfa sprouts or pea shoots

INSTRUCTIONS

For the dressing: Whisk the crème fraîche, walnut oil, horseradish, lemon juice and sugar together with the water, if needed to loosen. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The yield is about 1/2 cup.

For the carpaccio: Trim the radishes (set aside the leaves), carrots and zucchini, and cut them lengthwise into very thin slices and put them in a mixing bowl. Use a vegetable peeler to pare the cucumber into thin ribbons and add them to the bowl.

Peel the avocados, scoring the skin lengthwise first. Use a very sharp knife to shave the flesh into long, thin slices. Add the avocado slices, radish leaves, lemon juice and olive oil to the bowl and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange the vegetables on individual plates. Spoon the horseradish dressing over each, and scatter with the sprouts or pea shoots. Serve right away.

Per serving: 360 calories, 4 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 33 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 260 mg sodium, 8 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Order Reprint