Whirled Peas

This week was "Week Two" of our CSA pick up and we got to pick a quart of strawberries and a quart of snap peas at the farm as part of our share.  So, my CSA partner-in-crime and I put on our rain gear and met up at the farm Saturday morning for some picking fun.  The rain this week has definitely taken its toll on the crops.  The poor pea bushes were a bit battered by the storms and the strawberries seemed water-logged.  Nonetheless, there we were...standing in a few inches of mud, cracking open pea pods and snacking on those sweet little pearls of spring.  At first, we weren't quite sure what to be looking for when pulling the pods off the bushes, but it didn't take long to figure out which ones were ready.  Immediately, we went on a hunt for the plump ones. Since a pint of pea pods does not yield a whole lot of peas, I went to the market and picked up some more.  I spent the afternoon shelling peas on the couch. 

Now, I will be the first to admit I hated peas growing up.  The ones we saw in the house came from a can or the freezer and the consistency just never worked for me.  That is until I had fresh ones.  Right out of the pod, they're sweet and a bit crunchy, popping in your mouth and tasting just like spring.  If you're a novice like me and a little in the weeds (quite literally)when it comes to fresh peas, here's a few things I have picked up from the pros:

• Look for the pods that are firm, but not busting at the seams.
• To shell them, place your thumb along the seam at the widest part at the bottom of the pod and gently squeeze between your thumb and forefinger--pop!  The pod should split open easily at that point.  Then, gently slide the peas out of the pod into a container.
• In order to store them, you will want to blanch them as soon after picking them or buying from the store.  They lose their sweetness quickly after picking.  To blanch, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Drop the peas in the water and cook for up to 90 seconds, but no more.  The longer you blanch, the less snappy they become.  Remove peas from pot with a slotted spoon or hand strainer and shock them by dropping them into a bowl full of cold water and ice, for 90 seconds.  This will stop the cooking process and keep the peas nice and green.  Remove from water (most easily accomplished by pouring the contents of the bowl into a mesh strainer or a colander) and pat dry with a towel.  Enjoy right away or store in an air-tight container for up to a week.
• For long-term storage, place peas on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer and place in the freezer overnight.  Make sure the peas are dry and not touching when you do this.  Once frozen, pour the peas into a zipper bag or an airtight freezer container and store until a grey day in the winter! 

Crushed Peas with Smoky Sesame Dressing (from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds fresh peas in pods or about 1 1/2 cups already shelled or frozen and defrosted
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika, smoked if you have it
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Toasted pitas, cut into wedges, for serving

Preparation:
If you haven't already,  blanch peas and drain them, then immediately shocking them in the ice water. Drain the peas again and pat them dry on a large towel.

Using a potato masher, small fork, muddler or meat pounder (be gentle!), lightly crush the peas. Aim for mixed textures, some left whole, most in halves and a few a little more broken up. Put them in a large bowl.  Hopefully, you don't have a wire masher like me, because, well, you can see I had some issues.  I resorted to a fork and mashing them against the side of the bowl.

Whisk together tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, water, cumin, paprika and salt.  Mix peas with about 3 tablespoons of the dressing, to start, then add more to taste. Sprinkle with scallions if you like. Heap pea mixture on toasted pita wedges and enjoy as a snack.  I opted for not toasting my pita wedges and it was a delicious, healthy treat.  It doesn't look like much, but trust me, it was yummy!

 Pasta, Pesto and Peas (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)
Ingredients:
Prepared pesto (or you can make some of your own like I did using this recipe)
1 pound pasta of your liking, preferably linguine or fusilli
Toasted pine nuts for garnish
A handful of freshly blanched peas
Parmesan cheese for garnish

This is a seriously quick and easy meal to whip up.  I made it as my lunches for the next couple days.  Cook the pasta as directed and drain.  In a large bowl, spoon a few tablespoons of pesto over the hot pasta and toss.  Add as much pesto as your heart desires.  Spoon pasta into individual servings and sprinkle some peas, pine nuts and a little parmesan cheese on top.  Turn the pasta a couple times in the dish and serve.  The peas are a pleasantly surprising addition to this rather simple dish.

If you have enough peas lying around, unlike me, try out this pea pesto recipe and let me know what you think!