½ cup dried cherries
1 cup chopped, lightly toasted walnuts
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup seedless grapes, sliced (or a ¼ cup of raisins)
4 apples, cored and chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
~ salt
~ pepper
~ lettuce

Steps

1. Place cherries in a small bowl, cover with hot water until soft. Drain.
2. Mix together mayonnaise and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add cherries, celery, grapes and apples. Toss and season to taste.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter. Spoon salad over the lettuce then garnish with walnuts.

Steps
1. To make dressing: Combine mayonnaise, vinegar and garlic in a bowl. Add salt to taste.
2. To make slaw: Combine cabbage, carrots and onion in a bowl. Add dressing and mix together. Cover bowl and put in refrigerator for at least one hour. Taste and add salt if needed.

Ingredients
3 lb. young fava beans
~ Ice water for blanching
1 large lemon, halved
10 baby artichokes
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ cup water or chicken stock
~ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 oz. pecorino or other mild sheep’s-milk cheese
1 small loaf of crusty bread
Steps

1. Prepare the favas: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, shell the fava beans by snapping off the tip of each pod and pressing at the seam to open the pods. Pop out the beans with your thumb. When the water boils, cook them until they are just tender to the bite, 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on size. Drain and place in the ice water to stop them from overcooking. Peel the tough light green skin from each bean and discard.
2. Prepare the artichokes: Fill a medium bowl with cold water and the juice from one lemon half. Snap off the artichoke leaves until you reach the tender yellow-green cores, rubbing all cut surfaces with the remaining lemon half as you work to prevent browning. Slice off the top quarters and then, with a sharp peeler or paring knife, pare away the tough stems and green layers around the bases. Halve the artichokes lengthwise and toss them into the lemon water.
3. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the shallots, and cook until translucent but not brown, about 4 minutes. Drain the artichokes and pat them dry with paper towels. Add them to the shallots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the wine, and boil until the wine is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add the thyme and water or stock, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the artichokes are tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Add the fava beans and cook until the beans are just warm, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and transfer the mixture to a serving dish. With a sharp vegetable peeler, shave the cheese over the dish. Serve with the bread as a first course or as a side dish for chicken or fish.

½     lb. sugar snap peas, sliced on diagonal
1     cup crumbled feta
¼     cup torn mint leaves
1     tomato, coarsely chopped
1     clove garlic, minced
2     tsp. balsamic vinegar
3     Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
~     salt
~     pepper

Steps

1. Toss together the first four ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, place the garlic, vinegar and olive oil. Stir until well mixed.
3. Add dressing to vegetables. Toss together, add salt and pepper to taste.