Strawberries and Cream for Comfort and Strawberries and Fava Beans with Basil Feta, Ginger and Chili

A punchy recipe with iconic spring produce.

It’s always strawberry ice cream for me.

It indulges my passion for cream without the textural fuss of crunch or cookies or nuts. Strawberry bits soften in melting cream, so ice cream can be what it’s supposed to be: frozen crème anglaise with few, if any, distractions. Vanilla cream is often lost in complication—pistachio is intrusive crunch, caramel is saccharine and cookies-and-cream is sensory overwhelm.

But strawberries’ puckery sweetness stays on the lips, waiting for cream to soothe it. As the cream melts, the strawberries mellow, and vanilla cream preserves its unassuming essence—though if the tartness comes back, cream is there to ease it.

Perhaps that’s why strawberry was my comfort flavor as a kid.

I grew up in Manhattan, where kids achieve firsts fast. Like the first taxi ride without adults—I can’t recall my age, but my and my friend Laura’s first jaunt lasted barely five minutes and five blocks.

The first time crossing the street alone is followed by the first solo walks. I was twelve with the stressors and insecurities of all pre-teen girls, and I felt restless for solace—ice cream, then. I took a walk for strawberry in a cone and dawdled over each softened berry between my lips as melted cream ran down my chin. Dappled spring light on the strawberry cream caught my eye: “This makes me happy,” I thought, and smiled wide as any kid experiencing autonomy might do. I paused before reaching our apartment building and looked up at the early spring sky—the complexity of the pre-teen sense of self eluded me, but a walk and a comfort food were mine.

Strawberries and Fava Beans with Basil Feta, Ginger and Chili

Sweet, nutty, citrusy, creamy—springtime

If strawberries and cream are an uncomplicated pair, then a potential contrast is the fava bean. Favas are often maligned as too fussy, with too many steps and too much waste to reveal the toothsome bean. I disagree. Splitting the soft, almost fleecy fava pod along its seam and revealing beans nestled in protective skins feels nurturing. Blanch them and hold one by one in a pincer grip to slide off the skin and reveal a nutty, buttery bean that can do no wrong.

It’s ritual, rather than fuss. Anticipation, not waste.

This dish is a powerhouse of spring produce: Berries, fava beans, basil, microgreens and chive blossoms are a cast to behold. Nutty fava beans pair wonderfully with citrusy, sweet strawberries, and the basil feta adds salty and creamy lightness to the dish. I used the first strawberries of the season. It was one of those visits to the greenmarket for which only a very early start will do, for fear that you will miss out on the first juicy berries that everyone else wants, too. And certainly strawberries that were picked just hours earlier are incomparable to any other.

First strawberries at the greenmarket this season

If you prefer a different herb to basil, then use that with the feta, instead. Basil and strawberries are another iconic pair, but go with your taste. A fragrant dressing of minced ginger, chili flakes, lemon and sumac enhances the sweet citrus flavors of the dish beautifully. Sprinkle julienned basil or some microgreens or chive blossoms, which have just sprouted into season, for texture and intrigue.

Added first-of-season chive blossoms

The basil feta can be made in advance, though it’s important to refrigerate it if not using it immediately because oxidation is not your friend. For the same reason, I also suggest blanching the favas and slicing the berries only when ready to serve.

Ingredients

For the Basil Feta:

6 oz feta or dairy-free feta

1 heaping cup whole basil leaves

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup coconut yogurt, or your thick yogurt of choice, like Greek yogurt

1-2 tsp water, to bring it together

For the Fava Beans and Strawberries:

1 cup fava beans (pre-blanching) from approximately 16 oz fava pods

5 small strawberries, hulled

For the Dressing and To Finish:

1/2 tsp minced ginger

1/2 tsp chili flakes (or less for reduced heat)

1/4 tsp ground sumac

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Julienned basil, microgreens or chive blossoms, for garnish

Flaky salt to finish

Method

Make the Basil Feta:

1. Break up the 6 oz of feta into a food processor or blender, along with 1 cup of basil leaves, 2 tbsp of oil, 1 tsp of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of yogurt and 1 tsp of water. Blend until smooth or slightly chunky, if you prefer. If needed, add another teaspoon of water. Set aside.

Prepare the Fava Beans:

1. Set a small saucepan on medium heat, and prepare a medium-sized bowl with ice water near the stove.

2. Remove the beans from the fava pods and rinse.

3. Once the water is boiling, add the fava beans to the saucepan. Boil for sixty seconds, and then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the bowl of ice water.

4. Allow the beans to cool—this shouldn’t take long at all—and then drain and carefully squeeze each fava bean from its outer skin. Place the beans in a bowl that could fit the beans and sliced strawberries.

5. Thinly slice the hulled strawberries, and add them to the beans.

Make the Dressing and Assemble the Dish:

1. To a small bowl, add 1/2 tsp minced ginger, 1/2 tsp chili flakes (or to taste), 1/4 tsp sumac, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp oil and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Whisk to mix.

2. Add roughly half of the dressing to the beans and strawberries and gently toss.

3. Spread the basil feta on a plate. Place the beans and strawberries on top as you wish to design it.

4. Slowly drizzle the remaining dressing around the plate.

5. Finish with garnish and flaky salt to taste. Enjoy immediately.