A Pea Inspired Kitchen Sink Salad

Nigel Slater, the author of Tender and Ripe refers to sweet peas as “the smarties of vegetables”.  He couldn’t be more right. Some people consider shelling peas to be too much work while others call it therapeutic. The latter enjoy sitting by their pool watching the kids play while mindlessly pulling the thread from the pod and popping out the plump peas; a summertime smile imprinted on their face. We write on our chalk board at the market “They’re worth it!” I really wanted to post some amazing recipes using peas at the beginning of their season, but we've been so busy at the farm I haven't been able to find the time. Instead, I'll share this kitchen sink salad showcasing peas as they wrap up their season (earlier than expected thanks to the heat).

This salad was early summer incarnate. Who says you need to use shelling peas OR sugar snaps? I used both. In the past, I’ve finely chopped fresh mint  and sauteed the peas in a skillet of butter but this time I tried something new; adding mint leaves and salt to boiling water and then throwing in the peas for all of 1 minute. The result is a minty flavor that’s subtle and agreeable with other flavors. Like most vegetables have a pairing, peas have pre-conceived soul mates; prosciutto, pecorino, lemon, mint, and/or bacon. With this in mind, I threw together:

Mixed greens

Shelling peas and sugar snap peas (boiled in mint water for 5 minutes and strained)

Crumbled bacon

An egg over easy

Avocado (optional)

Tomato (optional)

Mushrooms (optional)

Shaved pecorino cheese

Juice from half a lemon

TRY IT.