Our Favorite Spring Salad

Ingredients

4 cups of arugula

2 cups chopped radicchio

2 cups shelled and blanched English peas

2 cups shelled, blanched and skinned fava Beans

1 tbsp minced shallot

2 tbsp whole grain mustard

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp Garnacha vinegar (or similar, like sherry vinegar)

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup kosher salt

Process

Heat six quarts of water over high heat until boiling.  Shell fava beans and set aside.  Shell peas and set aside.  Prepare an ice bath.  When water is boiling, add kosher salt and return to boil.  Add peas and bring back to boil and cook 30-60 seconds more.  Remove peas with slotted spoon and immediately submerge in ice bath.  Return water to boiling and add fava beans.  Bring back to boil and cook until outer skin begins to crack.  This will vary from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes depending on freshness of fava beans, but do not boil longer than three minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and immediately submerge in ice bath.

Place radicchio and arugula in large bowl.  In a small bowl, add mustard and olive oil and whisk until smooth and creamy looking (maybe 10-15 seconds).  Add shallot and vinegar and whisk again to combine.  Taste, then and add salt and pepper to taste and more vinegar if desired.

Drain peas and favas.  Remove fava beans form their outer skin and set on a paper towel to dry slightly.  Place peas on paper towel to remove excess water.  Add favas and peas to salad bowl and mix.  Add dressing and toss.

Serve immediately. Serves four as a starter.

check out this adorable pic our daughter took - she's got a good eye and she's a mean napkin folder