Fava Bean Salad with Fennel and Radish

By GadgetGirl

Lata uses Singing Brook cheese, an artisanal aged sheep's-milk cheese produced by Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. Order it at blackberryfarm.com, or use pecorino Romano. To best gauge the doneness of the beans, Lata removes the tough outer skins with a paring knife first, before blanching. This can be tricky for cooks new to favas, so instead we remove the skins after blanching, which makes the job a little easier. If fava beans aren't available, Lata recommends substituting English peas. Or use edamame, as we did.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds unshelled whole fava beans (about 1 cup shelled)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups very thinly sliced fennel bulb
• 2 cups arugula leaves $
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced radish $
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1.5 ounces Singing Brook or pecorino Romano cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Remove shells from beans. Place beans in a large pot of boiling water; cook 20 seconds. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain well. Remove and discard tough outer skins from beans.
2. Combine juice, oil, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add beans, fennel, and arugula; toss to coat. Place about 3/4 cup fennel mixture on each of 6 plates. Sprinkle evenly with radish, walnuts, and cheese.