Source: Around the Southern Table, by Rebecca Lang. (2012, Oxmoor House).
Servings: 8
Entered by: Janice Matthews
Vegetarian Vegan

True Southerners use the name "English peas" to describe the bright green peas that are the only ones known to most of the rest of the country. (That's because we are lucky enough to also have any number of other yummy summer-grown peas, from crowder peas to pink-eye purple-hulled peas, just to name a few.) Still, English peas make a wonderful spring dish with other fresh seasonal ingredients...This simple recipe takes about 10 minutes to fix, and is ready to serve in less than half an hour. It is closely based on a recipe from a delightful new cookbook written by an Athens, GA native who is now a food editor for Southern Living magazine. Take a moment and check it out!

Ingredients

  • l pound shelled green (English) peas
  • 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions or walking onions
  • 2 T. chopped fresh mint (plus a few sprigs for garnish)
  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 T. white wine vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. 1
    Blanch the peas, like this: Fill a large bowl halfway with water and ice Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add the peas, cook for 1 minute. Drain. Plunge peas into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again. (This blanching step gives the peas a bright green color and makes them even more tender.)
  2. 2
    Combine the blanched peas with the radishes, onions, and mint in a bowl.
  3. 3
    Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper until well blended. Pour over the veggies, and toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with a few mint sprigs if desired.

Comments

Janice Matthews 3/4/2013
It's okay to use frozen peas with this recipe if you don't have fresh ones. Blanch them in the same way, though.