Spring Market Salad
“Spring is the time for fresh goat cheese,” says Chef Chrissy Camba of Bar Pastoral in Chicago, Illinois. “Go to the market or cheese shop, and see what they have. I live in the Midwest, so I like Prairie Fruits Farm’s fresh goat cheese. You can also use an ooey-gooey [cheese]. Talk to your cheese farmer or monger. They will let you know what’s great!” Camba likes to plate this salad in a free-spirited way with the scapes crawling across a large plate and the pea tendrils creating different heights like a garden.
Ingredients
- 4 –5 spring onions
- 4 garlic scapes
- ¼ cup good olive oil plus more to coat
- Flaky sea salt such as Maldon, to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 bunch breakfast radishes washed and cut into random shapes and sizes
- 1½ cups pea tendrils
- 2 tablespoons mint chopped
- 1 cup fava beans shucked, peeled, and blanched
- 1 lemon
- Fresh goat cheese
Instructions
- Toss the onions and garlic scapes in a little olive oil to coat, and add salt and pepper. Grill or roast until tender and slightly charred around the edges.
- Cool the onions and scapes after cooking and quarter the onions lengthwise. You can cut the scapes into 1- to 2-inch pieces or leave them whole.
- Put the radishes, pea tendrils, mint, and fava beans in a large bowl.
- Zest and juice the lemon, and whisk with the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Dress the salad with the lemon juice and olive oil mixture. Camba likes to dress and toss the salad, add the fresh goat cheese, and gently mix again. This allows some of the cheese to get mixed in but also leaves larger pieces. If it’s something like Prairie Fruits Farm’s Krotovina or even softer, add it after the salad is mixed.
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