Seasonal White Recipe

Whisk dressing

In a medium bowl combine fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey. Whisk until combined.

Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Continue until fully incorporated.

Stir in fresh thyme leaves, sliced chives, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning: add more honey if you want sweeter, more vinegar for brightness.

Set dressing aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to let flavors meld (or refrigerate up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before using).

Prepare produce

Wash and thoroughly dry baby arugula and butter lettuce. Place in a large mixing bowl and gently toss to combine.

Trim the fennel bulb: remove core if tough, thinly slice the bulb using a sharp knife or mandoline. Reserve a small handful of fronds for garnish.

Core and thinly slice the pear (do not brown: if preparing ahead of time, toss pear slices in a tablespoon of lemon juice). Halve the green grapes. Halve the cucumber lengthwise then thinly slice. Slice the celery on the bias into thin pieces.

Add the sliced fennel, pear, grapes, cucumber and celery to the bowl with greens. Gently toss to distribute evenly.

Add crunchy & creamy elements

Toast slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and lightly golden (2–3 minutes). Let cool slightly. Crumble the goat cheese or ricotta salata into small pieces and scatter over the salad.

Right before serving, drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add more dressing to taste, but avoid overdressing.

Scatter toasted almonds over the dressed salad and top with chopped fennel fronds and microgreens or pea shoots for a delicate finish.

Finish with a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt and a little lemon zest to brighten flavors. Serve immediately.