Super Green Spring Pea Salad

Pea (English, snap, and tendrils) salad with date jam, Meyer lemon ricotta, and mint salsa verde. 

This is spring on a plate.

Serves 6 (GF, V, VVO)

Ingredients

For the date jam:

1 cup (130 g) pitted dates

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Fine sea salt

For the meyer lemon ricotta:

1 cup (240 ml) ricotta (page 268 or store-bought)

Zest and juice of ½ Meyer lemon

Pinch of fine sea salt

For the peas:

3¾ cups (225 g) snap peas

1 cup (170 g) shelled fresh English peas (from 1 pound/455 g in the pod)

2 small bunches (280 g) pea tendrils

For the mint salsa verde:

½ small shallot, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Fine sea salt

½ cup (25 g) finely chopped fresh mint

¼ cup (13 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 salt-packed capers, rinsed and chopped

½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

To serve:

½ Meyer lemon

Really good olive oil

Fleur de sel

Instructions

Part 1: Smoked date jam: Get your smoker ready by setting it up with soaked wood. We tend to use citrus, oak, or pecan wood. You might have a favorite soaked wood chip you like to use. If you’re using a gas grill and a smoker box, place the wood in the box or wrap it in a few layers of aluminum foil and poke lots of holes in the foil. Set the smoker box (or foil pouch) on the hot side of the grill and place the dates on a heat-safe tray on the cool side. Close the grill vents. Smoke for about 5 minutes.

Transfer the smoked dates to a small pot and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Simmer until very tender, about 000 minutes. Drain, then puree the dates using a food processor or immersion blender. Mix in salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

Part 2: Meyer lemon ricotta: In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, zest of the Meyer lemon, a squeeze of the juice, and salt. Taste, adding a bit more juice and/or salt, if desired.

Part 3: Mint salsa verde: Combine shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Let the shallot soften for about 5 minutes. Stir in the mint, parsley, and oil. Taste and season with a little more salt, if you like.

Part 4: Peas: Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water and keep it nearby. Snip off the ends of the snap peas and remove their strings. Slice thinly on the diagonal. Boil the snap peas and English peas for 10 seconds, then drop them into the ice water and let cool completely. Spread them out on paper towels to dry.

To serve, in a large bowl, toss the snap peas, English peas, and pea tendrils with a big squeeze of Meyer lemon juice, a splash of olive oil, and a generous pinch of fleur de sel. Smear some smoked date jam across the bottom of 6 plates. Spread the Meyer lemon ricotta on top of the date jam. Divide the pea salad among the plate, using your fingers to lift the salad and give it some good height. Drizzle mint salsa verde over each salad.