Yes, peas!
Snow Peas
Snow peas are perhaps most popular as an ingredient in stir-fried dishes. The tender, flat pods are harvested while still young, before the peas inside fully develop. Snow peas may be eaten raw or cooked — slice them into salads or try a quick saute in olive oil with minced garlic, salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Snap Peas
Gardeners know it’s hard to resist eating freshly picked snap peas! Crisp and sweet, snap peas (or sugar snap peas) are a cross between snow peas and shell peas. Their edible, rounded pods are crunchy and the peas are larger than those found inside snow peas. Enjoy them dipped in hummus or tzatziki, a yogurt sauce flavored with cucumbers and mint.
Shell Peas
The frozen and canned peas found in grocery stores are shell peas, also known as garden peas, English peas or sweet peas. Whereas snow peas and snap peas can be eaten pods and all, this variety has a tougher outer shell — open it to reveal and remove the sweet peas inside, then discard the pod.
Mint Pesto Pea Soup
Serves 6. Total time: 30 minutes
Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
6 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 green onions, diced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
1⁄4 cup sour cream
Pesto
1⁄2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1⁄4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1⁄4 cup pine nuts
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with the butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute 5 to10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add half the minced garlic, and cook another minute, then add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the peas, return to a boil, and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the green onions, mint, sour cream, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Be careful — vent the blender to allow steam to escape or use an immersion blender. Taste for salt and pepper.
To make the pesto, put the parsley, mint, garlic, pine nuts and lemon zest and juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the Parmesan cheese and blend. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until blended well. Top each bowl of soup with a large spoonful of pesto, and serve warm or chilled.
Chicken and Pea Salad
Serves 4. Total time: 40 minutes; 15 minutes active
1⁄2 pound snap peas
3 cups cooked chicken, roughly chopped
1⁄2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 scallions, chopped
1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped
1⁄2 cup Greek yogurt, nonfat
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
Salt to taste
Trim the snap peas, chop into ½-inch pieces and place in a bowl with the chicken. Add the thawed peas, scallions and parsley.
In a cup, stir the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and tarragon. Pour over the chicken mixture and stir to mix.
Honey Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry
Serves 2. Total time: 20 minutes
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 large carrots, halved and sliced on a diagonal
2 cups snow peas, fresh or frozen, stems removed
1⁄3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
Red pepper flakes, optional
Slice the chicken breast across the grain in thin slices, then cut them into 3/4 inch strips. Set aside.
Prep the vegetables and reserve. In a cup, mix the teriyaki sauce and honey.
Place a large wok or skillet over high heat for a minute, until the pan is very hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the chicken. If using red pepper flakes, add a generous pinch now. Stir frequently for about 3 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink and has some browned spots.
Add the carrots and snow peas and keep stirring for about 1 minute. When the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are crisp-tender, stir the teriyaki sauce mixture again and pour it over the chicken and vegetables. Stir to coat and thicken the sauce for 1-2 minutes, and serve hot. more inches of soil on top (skip this for top starting seeds).
Snow peas and carrots add color and crunch to this simple stir-fry. Serve over rice or stir in cooked udon noodles, coating them with the teriyaki sauce.
Carrot-Pea Fritters
Serves 3. Total time: 30 minutes
Raita
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey or agave
1⁄4 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 large scallions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fritters
3 cups finely shredded carrots
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1⁄2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup chickpea flour
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the raita, place the yogurt in a medium bowl and stir in the honey or agave, mint, scallions, salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
Heat the oven to 200°F and line a large, heat-safe plate with a double layer of paper towels. In a large bowl, combine the carrots, peas, onion and ginger and toss to mix. In a small bowl, combine the chickpea flour, turmeric, cumin, cayenne and salt. Stir to mix, then stir into the carrot mixture, mixing until a thick dough forms. Use a quarter-cup measuring cup to scoop the carrot mixture and flatten each portion to a half-inch thick patty.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat for about a minute, then drizzle in the oil, tilting the pan to cover the bottom. Place several portions of the carrot-pea mixture in the pan, leaving an inch of space between them. As they start to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 2 minutes, and use a thin metal spatula to carefully turn the fritters. Cook for 2 minutes on the second side, then turn and cook on the first side again for 2 minutes more, until the fritters are quite brown and crisp on the outside. Place on the prepared plate in the oven to keep them warm as you finish the remaining fritters. Serve warm with raita.
Called pakora in India, these fritters are dotted with peas and seasoned with warm spices. Pair them with dal (a traditional lentil soup or stew) and naan.