Recipes for a versatile and healthy spring favorite
By Faith Bahadurian
Is there anything handier than a bag of frozen peas in the freezer? Aside from being an instant first-aid kit for bumps and bruises, I constantly reach for frozen peas to complete a meal. I throw them into impromptu stir-fries and toss them into braised dishes for a shot of color. And I microwave a cupful when I need a green veggie on my plate at the last minute.
Aside from convenience, peas are rich in phytonutrients, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Fresh peas are in season now, so look for them in the farmers market if you don’t grow your own. A pound of pods yields about a cup of peas. Keep those pods cool until you are ready to shell and use them, a task that the kids can help with. Maybe that way, they’ll eat some when they’re served up at dinner (the peas, not the kids).
I also found bags of very nice fresh shelled peas in Trader Joe’s throughout much of the winter (albeit imported), and made good use of those when I just had to have something to remind me of spring.
Here are some recipes that highlight the essence of peas, should any make it from your garden — where they’re hard to resist right on the spot — into your kitchen.
MINTY PEA SOUP
Adapted from bonappetit.com. 6 servings. This recipe was created by the Canal House Cooking team of Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
6 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 6 pounds pods) or frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup crème fraoche or sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream or water
Chopped fresh chives (for serving)
Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes (2 minutes for frozen).
Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth. Purée soup with an immersion blender or in a regular blender (careful of hot splatters), thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Whisk crème fraiche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve soup warm topped with chives, with crème fraiche mixture on the side for spooning over.
SWEET PEA RICOTTA BRUSCHETTA
Adapted from bhg.com. 10 2-slice servings.
1 small lemon
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen shelled peas
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 mint leaves
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 ounces soft goat cheese (chevre), crumbled
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces baguette-style bread, sliced into 20 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 large clove garlic, halved
2 small radishes, sliced and cut into thin strips (optional)
Pea shoots (optional)
Finely shred peel from lemon and juice lemon; set aside. Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Add peas and sugar. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 2 to 4 minutes or until just tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well.
Use a food processor to process peas, 2 tablespoons of the oil, the lemon juice, and mint, until smooth. Add a little water if needed to get texture of hummus. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. In a small mixing bowl stir together lemon peel, ricotta, and goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Brush bread slices with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Toast in a grill pan or under the broiler, turning once. Rub each warm slice with cut side of garlic. Spread ricotta mixture over each slice of bread and top with pea mixture. If desired, garnish with radishes and pea shoots.
RISO e PISELLI (rice and peas)
Adapted from "In Nonna’s Kitchen ," Carol Field, HarperCollins (1997)Serves 6.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh peas (or a 10-ounce package tiny peas, thawed)
5 1/2 to 6 cups chicken or meat broth
1 1/8 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 ripe firm, small tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
8 basil leaves, cut into threads
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Warm half of butter in large sauté pan over medium-low heat and sauté half the onions until golden brown; add garlic and sauté until soft and pale gold, 2 to 3 minutes. Add fresh peas now, if you are using them, with about 1/2 cup of broth, and a pinch of salt, and cook over medium-low heat until peas are tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Heat the remaining chicken broth and hold at a simmer in a 3-quart pot.
Warm remaining butter and the olive oil over medium heat, add remaining diced onion, and sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add rice, stirring quickly, and sauté until the grains are translucent and well coated, 2 to 3 minutes.
Start stirring in 1/3 cup of simmering broth at a time, being sure the rice absorbs each ladleful before adding the next. When rice has cooked for about 18 minutes, add the previously cooked peas or the thawed peas, the diced tomato and the basil. Continue cooking until the rice is tender and creamy and the peas are soft. Season with the remainder of the salt and add the cheese, stirring it in well, and serve immediately before the rice absorbs the liquid.
Faith Bahadurian blogs at http://njspice.net (also Twitter @njspice).