My friend Joanne Weir, the television personality, came up with this genius idea for a spring riff on tomato and mozzarella salad. After all, it’s not tomato season. It’s asparagus, fava bean and pea season. So leave those mealy, flavorless red orbs for someone else and give your Caprese salad a fresh look for spring. What a light, simple salad for Easter and spring dinner parties to come. Thank you, Joanne!
Joanne recommends mozzarella di bufala. I say buy the freshest mozzarella you can find, whether it’s from water buffalo or cow’s milk. Ask your merchant what day the fresh mozzarella arrives and plan accordingly. Here are the qualities I look for:
Bella mozzarella: thin skin, moist texture
Mozzarella should have a thin, taut skin that clings to the interior.
Slices should be compact and hold together, not break apart into layers.
A slice should exude beads of fresh whey.
The cheese should have a sweet, milky scent, with no sour notes. It may have a cultured-milk aroma and a touch of acidity but it shouldn’t taste tart.
The texture should be tender and supple, not spongy.
It should have enough salt that you don’t notice its presence or its absence.
It should be made with whole milk. (You knew that.)
Vine-ripe summer tomatoes will be here soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy Joanne’s salad tribute to early spring.
Joanne Weir’s Spring Caprese Salad
Serve as a first course with crusty bread and a crisp white wine.
1-1/2 pounds fresh fava beans
½ pound asparagus
1 cup fresh shelled English peas
12 ounces mozzarella di bufala
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (I use small whole mint leaves—maybe 2 dozen)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Grated lemon zest, optional
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
A couple of handfuls of tender small greens, such as arugula, pea shoots or mâche
Remove the fava beans from their fuzzy pods. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the fava beans and boil 30 seconds. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water. When cool, drain and peel. The outer skin should slip off easily.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. To trim the asparagus, hold each spear horizontally between both hands and bend it until it breaks at the point where the spear becomes tough. Discard the tough ends. Slice the remainder into 2-inch pieces. Blanch them in the boiling water until barely tender, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Add the peas to the boiling water and simmer until barely tender, then drain and add to the ice water. Drain and pat asparagus and peas dry.
Cut the mozzarella into thin slices and place on a platter. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter the vegetables, herbs and lemon zest over and around the cheese. (Joanne doesn’t use lemon zest but I like it here.) Drizzle with the olive oil. Add more salt and pepper. Scatter the greens over the top and serve immediately.
Serves 6