Garden Pea Recipes

The Easiest Pea Recipe

Shell regular peas; string edible podded or snow peas and trim ends. Cook in boiling salted water until tender – about five minutes. Dollop with lots of butter and salt.

Endive and Snap Pea Salad

• 3 cups (10 ounces) sugar snap peas, stemmed, strings removed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
• 2 Tbs Champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 red Belgian endive or small Treviso radicchio spears
• 8 yellow Belgian endive spears
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped chervil
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

Blanch peas in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain peas; transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and slice thinly on a sharp diagonal. Purée 1/4 cup Parmesan, vinegar, lime juice, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. With machine running, gradually add both oils: blend until emulsified and well incorporated. Place 1 red endive spear and 1 yellow spear on each plate. Fill leaves with some of the snap peas. Top with 2 more endive spears (arrange perpendicularly to the bottom leaves) and fill with remaining snap peas. Drizzle some of dressing over. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and herbs over, then drizzle with more dressing. Season with pepper.

Pasta Primavera with Peas

• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed
• ¾ pound asparagus, ends snapped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup fresh English peas
• 1/3 cup (5 large) thinly sliced spring onion, white part only (or use shallots)
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 16 ounces pappardelle, fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature
• 6 oz (3/4 cup) crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas in half and asparagus stems into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, English peas and onion. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, more for dried pasta). Drain well, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Transfer pasta to the skillet of prepared vegetables or to a large bowl. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, Parmigiano-Reggiano, crème fraîche and herbs. Thin sauce to desired consistency with reserved pasta water. Season generously with salt and pepper, if needed, to taste. Serve.

Quadruple Pea Stir Fry

• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• ½ tsp Sriracha
• 1 ½ tbsp sesame oil, divided
• 12 oz diced chicken or extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed and cubed
• 17 oz prepared gnocchi
• ½ tbsp canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 7 oz (about 2 cups), chopped green beans
• 8 oz (about 2 ½ cups) sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 6 oz (about 2 ¼ cups) snow peas, trimmed
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 oz (about 2 cups) pea shoots
• ½ cup raw cashew pieces

Whisk hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and Sriracha in a medium bowl. Heat a large, dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the tofu. Cook, turning to brown all sides and pressing as much extra liquid out of the tofu as possible. Transfer to the bowl with the sauce and turn to coat. Set aside. Add the sesame oil to the skillet and add the gnocchi. Sauté about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until warmed through, light brown and crispy. Move to a plate and set aside. Add the canola oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until translucent. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring often, until bright green and crisp-tender. Add back the tofu in the sauce, the gnocchi, the pea shoots and cashews. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute.

Beans, Peas and Radishes

• 1/2 pound fresh wax or green beans
• 1/2 pound fresh sugar snap peas
• 2 cups water
• 6 large radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Snip ends off beans and sugar snap peas; remove strings from snap peas. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil over high heat. Add beans and reduce heat; simmer, covered, 4-5 minutes. Add sugar snap peas; simmer, covered, until both beans and peas are crisp-tender, another 2-3 minutes. Drain. Toss beans and peas with radishes. Stir together honey, tarragon, salt and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables.

Sesame-Ginger Steak Salad

• Top sirloin steak (1 pound)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced or puréed
• 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar or agave nectar
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1 package (10 ounces) hearts of romaine salad mix or four cups romaine lettuce from the garden
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced English cucumber
• 1 cup fresh snow or sugar snap peas
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Brush steak with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook steak in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°F; medium, 140°F; medium-well, 145°F). Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Divide salad mix among four plates. Top with radishes, onions, cucumber, peas, tomatoes and cilantro. Arrange sliced steak over salads; drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.

Peas and Carrots

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 big carrots, cut into small dice
• 16 ounces frozen peas
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and saute until they are tender. Add the peas and salt and pepper to taste and saute until they are thawed and cooked through. Stir in the chopped basil before serving.

Rice and Pea Salad

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• Salt
• 1 cup peas, blanched
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced and soaked in ice water for 10 minutes
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For the rice: Place the rice, 3 cups water, and a pinch of salt in a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook on low until tender, about 20 minutes. Turn the rice out onto a sheet tray and let it cool completely. Next, combine the rice, peas, red bell pepper and red onion. Toss gently. For the dressing: In a small bowl, add the rice wine vinegar, a small pinch salt and a few turns of freshly ground pepper. Mix together and slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil and then the sesame oil. Pour the dressing over the rice and mix until the rice is thinly coated. Taste, and re-season if necessary.