Marinated-Artichoke-and-Feta Salad

Recipe from Timothy Byres, Standard 2706, Dallas

Marinade for Artichokes and Haricots Verts

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (chervil, parsley, basil, and tarragon, or your choice)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
pinch kosher salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and whisk to incorporate.

Honey-Lavender Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons good-quality honey
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lavender (available in spring at some Central Market and Whole Foods stores), chopped, or 1K teaspoons dried lavender
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and whisk to incorporate.

Salad

12 whole fresh artichokes, stem on (if not available, use 12 bottled artichoke hearts)
olive oil for rubbing on artichokes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound haricots verts (French green beans)
marinade for artichokes and haricots verts (recipe above)
1 bunch watercress
1 watermelon radish (available at some Central Market stores; looks like a small potato but is red on the inside), peeled, halved, and cut into thin shavings with a vegetable peeler or mandoline (you will need about 2 dozen shavings)
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
4 ounces pistachios, crushed
1 cup honey-lavender vinaigrette (recipe above)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using fresh artichokes, rinse and cut off pointed leaf tips. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast (or grill) until the outer leaves peel off easily, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cool, then remove outer leaves and fuzzy choke, leaving the soft heart. With a paring knife, peel off fibrous exterior of stem (do not cut stem off). Cut hearts into halves or quarters. If using bottled artichoke hearts, rinse well, coat with olive oil, and season as above. Roast or grill for about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cool, then cut into halves or quarters.

Blanch haricots verts in rapidly boiling water until they turn bright green, about 30 seconds. Plunge into a cold water bath to stop cooking.

Toss artichoke hearts and haricots with marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; drain.

To serve: If you want to arrange ingredients in layers in a glass bowl, toss artichoke hearts, haricots, watercress, and radish shavings separately with vinaigrette, then layer in this order: half of the artichokes, all of the watercress, all of the haricots, the remaining artichokes, the feta, pistachios, and radish shavings. Otherwise, toss artichoke hearts, haricots, watercress, and radish shavings with vinaigrette and top with crumbled feta and pistachios. Serves 8.