This salad is relatively simple, but the idea is to make it a feast for the eyes. Use whatever greens or summer vegetables you like, but keep it fresh and crunchy, with plenty of color. 

Yield: 4 servings 

For the salad: 

1 large handful snap peas 

8 red radishes 

3 small Persian-style cucumbers 

2 large navel oranges 

½ cup whole mint leaves 

¼ cup Kalamata-style olives, quartered lengthwise 

3 tablespoons toasted pepitas 

2 large handfuls mixed herb lettuces 

For the vinaigrette: 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1 teaspoon honey or agave 

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

For the feta mint cream: 

3 tablespoons toasted pepitas 

½ cup mint leaves 

⅓ cup olive oil 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1 teaspoon honey or agave 

Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste 

¼ cup cold water 

⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese (We especially love brined sheep’s milk feta) 

⅓ cup sour cream 

Prepare the salad: Remove any stems or tough threads from snap peas. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and immerse the snap peas for 3 seconds, remove and immediately place in a bowl of ice water. Remove and pat dry, then slice them in two on a diagonal. Wash and cut radishes into quarters. Wash the cucumbers and cut ¼-inch slices on a diagonal. Peel the oranges with a knife and cut out the sections, leaving the pith behind. 

Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and adjust seasoning. 

Make the feta mint cream: In a blender or food processor, combine the pepitas, mint leaves, olive oil, lemon juice, honey or agave, salt and pepper and blend at high speed until smooth. With the motor running, add ½ cup fresh cold water and feta cheese and blend until smooth. Add sour cream and blend until just mixed. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. 

To plate: Divide the feta mint cream among individual plates and spread out with the back of a spoon forming a bed for the salad. Toss the lettuces with half the vinaigrette and portion out on top of the cream. Using your creative eye, arrange the cucumbers, radish, snap peas, orange sections and mint leaves on the greens. Top with olive slices and toasted pepitas, then drizzle remaining vinaigrette over top. Give the salads a good grind of fresh pepper and serve.