Very Green Salad

 





If you're not shy about assertive flavors, try a combination like this.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Serves:  4 or more

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch arugula, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 1/2" sections
About 1 cup Parsley, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, cleaned and chopped into 1/4" sections (white, light green, and as much of the dark green section as you like)
a handful raw sugar snap peas, for entertainment
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries. (Dried cherries can be found at Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
Your favorite vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS
Mix.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Snow Peas in Milk

My mom used to serve snow peas this way. I remember eating a lot of them.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5-8 minutes
Serves: 2 as a side dish

1/2 cup milk
1 pint snow peas
1 TB butter (optional)
Salt to taste

Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat Add the peas and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Distribute to plates, dress as you like with butter and/or salt, and eat 'em quick.


Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Sugar Snap Peas

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










Not a lot of complicated directions here - saute those edible - pod peas for a few minutes in butter or olive oil, and serve while tender-crisp. The flavor is out of this world.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Green and Red Macaroni

The bright bright green of fresh shell peas, and the glowing crimson of beets, make this dish stand out from across the room. Then the fresh flavors, framed by a touch of rich egg-and-cheese, make this a light but satisfying vegetarian entree.

Of course, you could also simply serve beets and peas all by themselves...



Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes (not including beet cooking)
Serves: 4, plus leftovers

1/2 lb whole wheat macaroni
2 TB butter
1 egg, whisked
1 cup fresh peas
1 cup cooked beets, chopped into cubes approximately pea-sized
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 TB minced fresh dill
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Cook the macaroni per package directions.

While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and cook the peas, stirring, for 2 minutes or until they begin to become tender. Then, add the chopped beets and heat for another minute. Turn the heat off under the peas.

When macaroni is done, drain and quickly return the pasta to its cooking pot. Pour in the egg and stir for a minute (the egg will cook). Stir in the parmesan, the peas, the beets, the dill, and the black pepper.

Distribute to serving plates, seasoning with salt to taste.

Serve a light dish like this on a warm summer evening with a glass of dry rosé. Uh oh, here it comes again... life is good.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Peas

Peas are the very first things seeded at the farm in early spring and can be found climbing up the trellises in the PYO field. We grow 3 kinds of peas (look for the signs in front of the trellis): sugar snap, snow, and shelling peas.

snow peas, shelling peas, sugar snap peas

Snow peas are delicate-tasting, flat-podded giants that should be picked when flat, with minimal pea-bumps, at least the length of an adult finger, and are also entirely edible. Stir-fry them! Or eat raw. To prepare, pinch the top of the pea pod with your fingernail and pull back to remove the tough-ish "strings" on the pod edges. Then eat it all!

Shelling peas are actual peas, like the ones you (used to) get frozen or canned. Pick them with they are very plump, bright green, and smooth, with filled-out peas inside. Avoid pods that are turning a lighter color or wrinkling - these are overmature. To get the fresh, sweet peas, simply peel away the pod (inedible) and eat! Eat them raw or try them in a recipe calling for fresh peas. Check out another blog, 101 Cookbooks, and some pea recipes here.

Sugar snap peas have an edible pod as well as peas, and should be picked when very plump, smooth and bright green. Due to the heavy rainfall this spring, the peas are not as sweet as usual, but are nonetheless very crunchy and tasty, either raw as a snack or stir-fried with other veggies. Prepare the same as snow peas.