Give Salad Slight Punch With Diced Daikon Radishes

They might not resemble the red-tinged globes that liven spring salad greens and tiny tea sandwiches, but the long, white, carrot-shaped, parsnip-looking things called daikon are radishes. Really.

Daikon radishes - also known as giant white radishes, Japanese or Chinese radishes, loh baak or lo pak - are available year-round, though fall and winter roots are milder than their warm-weather brethren.

They’re mild, sweet, crunchy and juicy, in a turnip sort of way, usually ranging between half a pound and 2 pounds, writes Elizabeth Schneider in “Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables: A Commonsense Guide” (Harper & Row).

Sliver them, slice them, dice them and add to salads or crudite plates. Grate or shred them and bathe in a vinegar mixture to make an appetizer or side dish. Substitute daikon radish for jicama for a pungent change of taste, or add julienned daikon to soups and stews during the last few minutes of cooking.

At the market, choose firm radishes with a luminous look, but avoid the largest ones because they might be fibrous. Those about 9 inches long are the best and only mildly pungent, writes Jacki Passmore in “The Encyclopedia of Asian Food and Cooking” (Hearst).

At home, scrub with a kitchen brush, or peel if the skin seems tough. Then prepare according to the recipe.

Daikon, Zucchini and Sweet Pepper Salad

From “Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables: A Commonsense Guide”(Harper & Row).

2 small zucchini (about 3/4 pound)

1/2 pound daikon radish, cut into thin rounds

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons Oriental sesame oil

Drop zucchini into a large pot of boiling, salted water. Boil about 4 minutes, or until pressure of fingers leaves indentation.

Drop in ice water; cool. Drain. Cut across into thin coins.

Cut daikon into thin rounds (halve lengthwise, if wide). Combine in serving dish with squash and sweet pepper.

Combine salt, sugar and vinegar; blend. Add peanut and sesame oils. Toss with vegetables; chill until serving time.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 598 calories, 6 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 56 grams fat (84 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 8 grams dietary fiber, 599 milligrams sodium.