Peas Be With You This Spring

Photo by Jennifer Prediger

Three fresh, delicious pea recipes

Featured item: MAR 24, 2008

Rich in folic acid, vitamin K, B vitamins, and loads of other nutrients, peas are extremely beneficial to your health. High in antioxidants, they promote bone growth and strength, cardiovascular health, blood clotting, and the strength of your immune system.

Available locally throughout the United States in spring, peas contribute greatly to state of the soil, replenishing it with nitrogen, and eliminating the need to apply chemical fertilizers. Fertilizer runoff is one of the main water-pollution problems in the country. In the days before chemical fertilizers, farmers planted their fields with peas in alternate years to revive the soil for other crops.

Sweet to look at, smell, and taste, one of the harbingers of warm spring weather is now in our markets. The first crops of peas are almost always the sweetest, and farmers can't wait to get them to market: They're young but mature pods that the French affectionately refer to as petit pois.

Europeans may love to stuff them sautéed and pureed into hollowed-out vegetables, dumplings and fishes, but Americans tend to be pea purists this time of year. The following three great recipes put them at center stage, making them perfect foods for the type of luncheon parties and simple dinners favored in April. First, a quick tip: Always check in farmers markets before shopping for peas at the supermarket. Since their sweetness is greatest just after picking, you'll get the best flavor while supporting sustainable farming.—Jay Weinstein

Minted Pea Soup

While wintertime pea soup is hearty, curative comfort food, it's made with dried "split" peas, and can be heavy. Fresh soup of spring peas is very different, complementing their naturally sweet flavor with cool mint, served hot or cold. It's one of the easiest soups to make: Just sauté some onion, blanch some peas, and puree them in a blender with the mint, liquid and seasonings.

Serves 6

4 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas (about 2 1/2 lbs. pods)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Maui
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups vegetable broth or stock
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup tofu sour cream or crème fraiche (optional)

1. Bring 2 quarts lightly salted water to a rolling boil; stir in peas (omit this step if using frozen peas, and simply rinse them to defrost). Bring back to a boil over high heat; drain and rinse the peas under cold running water to cool. Transfer blanched peas to a blender.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan until it shimmers, but does not smoke. Add onions and salt; cook over medium heat, without browning, until the onions become soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, raise the heat, and bring to a boil.
3. Add the onions and hot stock to the peas, along with the mint and honey. Blend until the peas have become a smooth, uniform puree. Pour back into the pot, and heat until hot but not simmering. Serve immediately, garnished with tofu sour cream. For an attractive presentation, pipe the sour cream onto the tops of plates, using a pastry bag or a bag with the corner cut off.

Maple Buttered Peas

This is an even easier dish, combining two seasonal events, since maple sap starts running in springtime, too. To make this intoxicating side dish, sweat (cook without browning) sliced shallots in butter, add maple syrup, and toss with blanched fresh peas until they’re warmed through. That’s the dish. The gorgeous marriage of spring flavors will have your guests in awe.

Serves 4

2 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1. Bring 2 quarts lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add peas, bring back to the boil, and drain (omit this step if using frozen peas, and simply rinse them to defrost). Rinse peas under cold running water to cool.
2. Melt butter in a medium skillet over moderate heat. Add shallots, and cook slowly, without browning, until they become translucent, and soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add maple syrup, and simmer until it emulsifies with the butter into a smooth sauce.
3. Stir in the blanched peas, and warm them gently in the sauce until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

Sweet Pea Risotto

Risotto is a main course dish that shows tender, sweet peas at their best. First gradually stir seasoned stock into short-grain Italian rice as it cooks. Then, after finishing the creamy, saucy risotto with a swirl of organic butter and a handful of nutty grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fold in a big harvest of fresh peas. For a touch more sophistication, add a pinch of saffron to your stock, for a nuanced flavor and a brilliant green-yellow look to the dish.

Serves 6

3 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas
4 cups stock or broth, boiling hot
Pinch saffron (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 tsp salt
2 cups risotto rice, such as Arborio or Carnaroli
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1. Bring 2 quarts lightly salted water to a rolling boil; add peas. Bring back to the boil; drain and rinse the peas under running water to cool (if using frozen peas, skip this step, and simply rinse them to defrost). Sprinkle the saffron into the broth; stir.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers but does not smoke. Add the onions and salt; sweat gently, without browning, until the onions are soft, and have given up some of their natural juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, and fold gently with a wooden spoon to coat. Stir in the wine. Stir constantly until the wine has almost completely evaporated.
3. Add one cup of the hot broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until it is almost completely absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add broth in one-cup increments, cooking between additions to absorb liquid before adding more, until all broth is incorporated.
4. Remove pan from the heat; stir in the cheese and butter, folding the risotto with a wooden spoon to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Risotto should be creamy, with a slightly chewy bit at the center of the grains. Fold in the peas, and serve immediately.