Garden Fresh: Peas take to soups, salads like pods
Don't know about your garden, but seems like those feathery green tendrils have climbed the trellis and are almost ready to pick in mine.
There's enough peas for only one meal – maybe two – and the fresh green pea salad and crunchy pea salad will definitely be the selected recipes from this bunch at my house.
But pea soup with lemons sounds incredibly fresh and bright, and it's difficult to fix risotto and have it not be delicious.
Hope these recipes give you some PEASant meals – and if you have any other recipes for fresh peas you'd like to share, send them in. E-mail rmabry@news-gazette.com or mail them to Mabry, 15 Main St., Champaign, IL 61820.
CHILLED LEMONY PEA SOUP
Peas fresh from the garden are perfect for soups and salads. By provided
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups shelled fresh peas or one 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon snipped fresh mint
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon slices
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir green onion over medium heat for 30 seconds or until soft. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the chicken broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Stir cornstarch and remaining broth together in a small bowl until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in peas and mint. Let mixture cool slightly.
Transfer pea mixture to a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover and chill thoroughly (at least 1 hour).
To serve, stir in lemon juice and garnish with lemon slices. Makes 4 servings.
FRESH GREEN PEA SALAD
3 1/2 cups petite peas
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (or 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup of sour cream)
2 green onions, finely chopped
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled
Freshly ground pepper
Toss peas with all ingredients and serve.
PEAS, ONIONS AND LETTUCE
6 cups green peas, shelled
8 small onions, peeled, whole
1 head lettuce, washed, shredded
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups water
Seasonings to taste
Put all ingredients together in a sauce pan. Cover. Cook slowly for about 40 minutes, and serve.
RISOTTO WITH FRESH PEAS
about 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned
2 teaspoons olive oil
cup diced onions
1 cup Arborio rice
cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
cup freshly shelled peas
Heat the stock in a saucepan and keep hot over low heat.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a separate medium-sized pot. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion turns translucent.
Add the rice to the onion mixture and stir.
Turn the heat to low, add about 1 cup of the hot stock to the rice mixture, and stir slowly until the stock is absorbed. Continue to add the stock 1 cup at a time, stirring slowly, letting the rice absorb the stock before adding more.
While the risotto is cooking, blanch the peas in boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Drain.
The risotto is cooked when it is creamy on the outside and slightly firm (al dente) in the center. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the risotto is too thick, add a little more stock until it becomes creamy.
Divide the risotto into serving dishes and sprinkle with the remaining peas.
CRUNCHY PEA SALAD
2 ¼ cups shelled green peas
1 ¼ cups diced cucumber
½ cup thinly sliced radishes
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
Steam peas, covered, 6 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold water; drain well.
Combine peas, diced cucumber, radishes, and green onions in a bowl. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour over vegetable mixture; toss well.
Also on this date
- University of Illinois statement on admissions probe
- City sends fire and maintenance inspectors to closed hotel
- Danville issues almost 1,000 tickets in speed patrols
- University Y to sell children's items
- One killed, five injured in head-on crash on Illinois 1
- UI kettle, meet state (gone to) pot
- Water company requests surcharge on top of rate increase
- Champaign teen facing court date on burglary charges
- Champaign man found hanging faces sex charges
- Obituaries