Sophisticated Summer Salad

Raw Fava Bean Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette
This delicious, garlicky raw fava bean salad brings together the abundant protein, iron and fiber available in this early summer bean and a slew of antioxidants from fresh peas, cucumber, garlic, and parsley.

Ingredients:
Serves 4.

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
3 -4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 finely chopped jalapeño or 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

FOR THE SALAD
1 pound shucked fresh fava beans (from 3 pounds pods; 3 1/2 cups)
1 cups fresh garden peas (you could substitute fresh corn)
1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil
2 ounces raw macadamia nut cheese, crumbled (optional, see recipe beow)
Directions:
Make the vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl, set aside.
Make the salad: shucking the fava bean takes time, but it’s worth it. It is basically a two step process, see the photographs above and below.
Toss cucumber, onion, parsley or basil , mac nut cheese, feta, beans, and peas or corn with the vinaigrette.
I think this cheese really makes the dish special, but it is also delicious without the raw cheese. There are many recipes on the internet, and any of them would likely work fine, this is just my personal favorite.
Macadamia Nut Cheese
2 cups raw macadamia nuts, soaked for an hour or more
Rejulevac to cover cashews
2 cups chopped cauliflower
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Instructions:
Drain and rinse the nuts, Blend nuts with only enough rejuvelac to create a thick cream. Pour into a quart jar, allowing space for the cheese to grow. Cover with a clean cloth and let culture on the counter top for 8 hours. Reduce cauliflower w/ olive oil & ½ tsp. sea salt in your dehydrator @ 105 degrees for 4 -6 hours. Process cauliflower in a food processor to a smooth texture, adding the additional ingredients and process until you reach the desired consistency. This is marvelous on raw pizzas or used as a feta cheese substitute in conventional recipes.