Spring Things Salad with Pickled Kumquats + Whipped Brie
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A bright and beautiful, lightly-dressed salad that comes together quickly and is impressive on the plate.
By:
Makes: 2 entree or 4 first course servings
Ingredients
  • For the Salad:
  • 1 head radicchio, thinly sliced into shreds
  • 1 large handful snap peas
  • 1 large handful (about ⅓ cup) shelled English peas
  • 4 small radishes, thinly sliced
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • lemon juice, optional (see instructions)
  • salt + pepper
  • Pickled Kumquats + reserved pickling liquid (recipe follows)
  • 10 oz triple creme brie cheese, chilled (I used Cowgirl Creamery's excellent Mt. Tam)
  • For the Pickled Kumquats:
  • Large handful kumquats (about 8-12)
  • 2 T rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp honey
  • pinch sea salt
Instructions
  1. Wash and thinly slice kumquats, discarding seeds. Combine kumquats, rice vinegar, honey and a tiny pinch of sea salt in a small bowl and allow to macerate about 10 mins while you prepare the remaining items.
  2. Remove rind from brie and reserve for another use (see note). Cut chilled brie into large chunks and add to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Whip on medium to med-high speed, scraping down the sides frequently, until white and very creamy, about 10 mins.
  3. While cheese whips, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add snap peas and English peas to boiling water and cook until just bright green, about 1 minute. Remove to ice water to stop cooking. Drain peas; sort out snap peas and cut on the diagonal.
  4. Combine radicchio, radishes, snap peas and English peas in a large bowl. Drizzle with the pickling liquid from the kumquats and olive oil to taste, and toss, adding a squeeze of lemon if more acidity is needed.
  5. Distribute salad among serving plates (in our house, this would feed 2 as an entree with crusty bread or 4 as a first course). Top with pickled kumquats, and add a smeared dollop of the whipped brie alongside. (An extra sprinkle of sea salt over the cheese is a nice touch if your brie isn't already overly salty.) Black pepper over the top, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
I know it seems blasphemous to do away with the brie rind in this application -- especially if you're spending a pretty penny for the good stuff. So reserve it! Stir it into your next pot of mac and cheese for an instantly-elevated comfort meal, layer it with other cheese remnants in an epic grilled cheese, or broil it on sourdough toast with fresh strawberries and honey.
Recipe by the pig & quill at https://thepigandquill.com/spring-things-salad-with-pickled-kumquats-whipped-brie/