All I am Saying, is Give Peas a Chance

Growing up, my sister Michelle and I hated peas.  My mom always said that it was just because our dad didn't like them, and he got away with not having to eat them.  She figured we were just trying to get out of eating them, too - and so the story of "control" among mom and daughter began!

It's funny how a childhood idea/memory can stay with you well into adulthood.  I also thought I hated coconut until I was well into my 30's, when I realized that I actually liked it (German Chocolate Cake will do that to you!).   Turns out when I was a little kid, my crafty dad TOLD me I didn't like coconut, so that he could eat all my Mounds and Almond Joy bars at Halloween.  But hating peas was MY idea, not my dad's (or so I told myself), so I held onto that one for quite a while. 

But about a year ago when I was at the farmers' market, I met a particularly passionate pea farmer.  He gave me some English pea pods and told me to just eat them right out of the pod.  So here's what happened in my head.....A) Gross; those are peas! and B) Don't you have to cook them first, preferably in a ton of butter??? and C) I wonder if he'll fall for the old "hey, what's that over there?" trick.  But instead I tried it......and they were delicious!  We're not talking frozen peas here, people!  These sweet little gems are truly a perfect food, with more protein than other veggies and full of iron, vitamin C, fiber and lutein (great for your eyes).  I dig 'em......don't tell my mom. 

Here's a delicious way to eat them....my Sweet Pea Crostini.  This will make any pea hater a pea lover.  I fixed this in a cooking class last week and the overwhelming response was, "This is soooo fresh!"  Well yes it is....and yet another example of why cooking/eating "in season" is the way to go.  It doesn't get better than fresh produce eaten in season.

P.S. you could add a little more olive oil, mixed with some water to loosen this up even further.... then it would be delicious tossed with pasta or over grilled fish or chicken.  I'll be giving that a go before these beauties disappear until next year.

Sweet Pea Crostini                                                                                                                         Makes 18

18 slices French baguette

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, halved

1 cup shelled English peas, blanched and shocked

½ cup baby arugula

2 ounces goat cheese

1 tablespoon fresh dill, plus extra for garnishing

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pinch salt

·         Preheat oven to 375⁰.

·         Brush baguette slices on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and rub cut side of garlic cloves on both sides.

·         Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cook for 7-10 minutes until lightly browned.

·         Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and add peas.

·         Cook 2-3 minutes, until bright green, then plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

·         Shell the peas and place in a blender along with arugula, goat cheese, dill, lemon juice & zest, and salt.  Blend until smooth paste forms.  With motor running, drizzle in remaining couple tablespoons of oil to loosen up the spread slightly.

·         Top on warm baguette slices, garnish with dill and serve immediately.

 

 

Yum it up!!

There's an App for That.....

...not that kind, you techie geniuses.  I'm talking appetizers! 

This is my favorite time of year, because appetizer parties are all the rage during the holidays.  This pic was taken at a Holiday Appetizer class I taught recently: Procsiutto, Arugula & Fig Roll-ups on the left, Vegetarian Potstickers next to it, and Field Green Salad in a Parmesan Cup.  Soooooo yummy!!

But no appetizer party is complete without crostini.  It's the most versatile appetizer on the planet because you can top them with any single dingle thing you like.  My new obsession is a Shiitake Mushroom Crostini:

There are two key things to remember when making crostini:  1) They get crispier (not in a good way) the longer they sit, so don't make too many at once or too far in advance.  You can make a bunch of your filling ahead, but toast the bread as you need it,  They only take about 8 to 10 minutes to toast, so it's not time consuming.  2) Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil; this helps them stay nice and soft right out of the oven.

I like to buy chiabatta baguettes and cut them into 1/4" slices.  Bake them at 350 for about 8 minutes until lightly toasted.

While they're baking, saute some sliced shiitake mushrooms, sliced shallots and chopped garlic in a little bit of almost-browned butter over medium high heat until the mushrooms are soft and brown.  Add chopped thyme leaves, a splash of balsamic vinegar or marsala, a pinch of salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Place the toasted bread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and top with the mushroom mixture. 

If you want to....and you know you do.... add a little dollop of Pt Reyes bleu cheese and pop back in the oven for another five minutes or so until the cheese melts.

Soooo dang good!!  I can't get enough of these little nuggets!  Give it a try at your next dinner party and you'll start the night off right!  Or do what I did the other night.....just make this for dinner with a big ol' salad.

Great..... now I'm hungry all over again.  So tell me, what's your favorite appetizer to make or eat???

Yum it up!!