Snap Pea and Carrot Salad
This recipe from Barbareño began as a persimmon salad. I wanted to explore how sweet fruit could pair with a pistachio relish and an umami rich Urfa pepper vinaigrette. As the seasons changed, the dish evolved. Autumn persimmons transitioned to winter beets, and then beets moved on to springtime snap peas and carrots, all inspired by our farmers market. Sourcing locally, Milliken Family Farms snap peas and Roots Farm carrots make the foundation, followed by Santa Barbara Pistachio Co. pistachios, and the mint comes from Earthtrine Farm. Anchovy makes a savory vinaigrette, and this recipe makes a generous portion you can use to experiment with your own dishes.
The finished salad is about contrasts: warm grilled peas and cool crisp vegetables. There is sweet, salty, savory to taste and varying textures. Take the time to make the Drake Family Farms goat cheese snow—it is the final flourish to impress at the table when you sprinkle it on just before serving.
Snap Pea and Carrot Salad
Ingredients
Pistachio Relish
- ⅓ cup Santa Barbara Pistachio Co. shelled pistachios, toasted
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Urfa Pepper Vinaigrette
- 1 anchovy fillet
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons gochujang, or chili paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried Urfa pepper, or Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2½ tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
Goat Cheese Snow
- 4 ounces Drake Family Farms goat chevre, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
Salad and Assembly
- 1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 medium carrots, sliced very thinly with a mandoline or vegetable peeler and shocked in ice water
- ¼ cup snap peas, thinly sliced on the bias
- 2 tablespoons Urfa pepper Vinaigrette, see accompanying recipe
- 2 tablespoons Pistachio relish, see accompanying recipe
- Coarse sea salt
- ¼ cup Santa Barbara Pistachio Co. pistachios, toasted and chopped
- Goat cheese snow, see accompanying recipe
Instructions
For the Pistachio Relish
- Pulse pistachios in a food processor until roughly chopped. While pulsing on and off, stream in the olive oil until incorporated but still textured. Transfer to a bowl and stir in shallots, apple cider vinegar and salt.
For the Urfa Pepper Vinaigrette
- Mince anchovy and garlic together to form a paste. Add to a blender along with shallots, lemon juice, champagne vinegar, gochujang, sugar, Urfa pepper and salt. Blend until fully broken down. Slowly stream in the oils while blending on low until emulsified. Adjust seasoning to taste.
For the Goat Cheese Snow
- Set up the cheese grater attachment on your food processor. Alternatively, a Microplane-style grater can be used. With the processor running, carefully put the frozen cheese cubes into the processor. It will likely be quite loud and you will need to use the plunger tool to press the cheese against the grater blade.
- Process the cheese to create a fine dust like powder, catching it in a container. Freeze the goat cheese snow until ready to serve.
For the Salad and Assembly
- Prepare a grill with a nice fire. In a bowl, toss the pound of snap peas with the olive oil. Season liberally with salt. Using a grill basket or grate, grill the snap peas over coals until lightly browned and softened, about 5 minutes. While cooking, make a simple salad of the shallots, mint, carrot ribbons (excess ice water removed), snap pea slices, and the Urfa Pepper Vinaigrette. Toss to coat. When the peas are done cooking, transfer to a bowl and dress with the Pistachio Relish. Season with salt as needed.
- To plate, start by piling about half of the peas in a serving bowl, spread out across the bottom. Top with about ¾ of the carrot salad, aiming to create height as you plate. Top with the remaining carrot salad.
- Finish with coarse sea salt, toasted pistachios, and plenty of Goat Cheese Snow over the top. (I like to cover the entire salad with the goat cheese snow.)
