Lata uses Singing Brook cheese, an artisanal aged sheep's-milk cheese produced by Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. Order it at blackberryfarm.com, or use pecorino Romano. To best gauge the doneness of the beans, Lata removes the tough outer skins with a paring knife first, before blanching. This can be tricky for cooks new to favas, so instead we remove the skins after blanching, which makes the job a little easier. If fava beans aren't available, Lata recommends substituting English peas. Or use edamame, as we did.
How to Make It
Remove shells from beans. Place beans in a large pot of boiling water; cook 20 seconds. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain well. Remove and discard tough outer skins from beans.
Combine juice, oil, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add beans, fennel, and arugula; toss to coat. Place about 3/4 cup fennel mixture on each of 6 plates. Sprinkle evenly with radish, walnuts, and cheese.
FIG and The Ordinary, Charleston, SC