Listening to my intuition and feeling my way into the May garden, I realized that it’s time to plant more snap peas. According to the 2020 biodynamic calendar, May 1, 2, and 3 are “fruit” days (more about biodynamic gardening / planting here). Fruit plants include all the plants whose fruits we use: beans, peas, grains, cucumbers, pumpkins, lentils, sweet corn, pepper, rice, tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, tree and bush fruits. The timing for some of these plants should happen later in the growing season, depending on your location. From where I am in the Northeast, I’m just now getting to my snap peas, and planning on sowing every 2 weeks until mid/late June for a continuous supply.
Snap peas have a special place in my heart, for many reasons. I love the way they climb, holding on so tenderly to the structure that is put in place for them. They are one of the first plants to yield sweet and crunchy nourishment. They taste amazing fresh off of the vine (and don’t even need to be combined with anything), but here are a few ways to incorporate them into your cooking!
GREENS N GARLIC
Serves about 6
This recipe lived inside my fingertips for the longest time - I often don’t measure and frequently substitute with unexpected gifts from the garden and market. But this was one that just tasted so good I had to write it down and share it. The inspiration for the snaps came when Nicola arrived from San Francisco one spring with a paper bag of snap peas from her local farmer’s market. We loved the flavor so much that I saved some of the pods to dry the peas for next year’s planting. We’ve been keeping it going in our Old Greenwich kitchen garden for years now. Even though this dish is pretty darn special during pea growing season, we still make it without the snaps for the other months of the year.
1 large head of broccoli
1 bunch of curly kale
Seasonal bunch of snap peas (14-16 pods)
1-2 tablespoons unfiltered olive oil
4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
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1. Prepare a large pot fitted with vegetable steamer and fitted lid. Fill the bottom of the pot with about 2 inches of water. Set aside.
2. Rinse the broccoli. Peel the outer layer of stalk with a vegetable peeler to remove the woody fiber. Cut 1-2 inches off from the bottom of the stalk and discard. Using both florets and stems, cut into large bite sized pieces. Place into the vegetable steamer.
3. Rinse kale leaves. Holding the stalk in one hand, pull the leaves from the stem with the other. Discard or compost the stem. Tear the leaves into bite sized pieces. Place kale into vegetable steamer.
4. If snap peas are in season, rinse and remove the strings. Set aside.
5. Steam the broccoli and kale until they brighten in color, about 3 min.
6.Carefully remove vegetables from the steamer and drain the water from the pan. Add back in olive oil, chopped garlic, snap peas, steamed broccoli and kale. Stir-fry a few minutes over medium heat to blend.
7. Season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
8. Transfer to a large serving dish, garnish with fresh lemon zest.
PEAS & PASTA
Serves 2 generous portions, or 4 as a side
This is another recipe that I didn’t really write down until just now, but just know that by combining these ingredients you will have a delightfully simple meal that takes hardly any time at all to prepare. If you have any pancetta, or want to add a little lemon zest before serving, I’m sure either or both would be a lovely addition.
2 cloves garlic
1/4 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
1 tablespoon unfiltered olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs - parsley, basil and oregano are wonderful. You could also use a scoop of pesto if you have it on hand.
1/2 cup or more chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup fresh shelled peas (ok to sub with frozen peas)
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 box of your favorite pasta
Optional Garnish: Grated Pecorino, flaky salt, fresh ground pepper, crushed red pepper
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1. Chop onion, mince garlic.
2. Gently melt butter/ghee and olive oil in a medium skillet over med/low heat.
3. Add onion & garlic. Saute until softened but not browned. About 5 minutes. If you are doing pancetta, you can add this now too.
4. Stir in fresh chopped herbs or pesto
5. Add stock and peas. Cover the pan and allow to simmer while you prepare the pasta.
6. Strain pasta, transfer to a bowl and top with peas and sauce.
7. Garnish with pecorino and spices of your choosing.
SPROUTED GRAIN CHIPS WITH PEAMOLE DIP
CHIPS:
Sprouted grain tortilla wrap (you can find these in the refrigerated section of most health food markets)
Olive oil
Celtic sea salt to taste
DIP:
2 cups fresh frozen organic peas at room temp
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 medium clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 diced tomato
Optional Garnish: Fresh chopped mint
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1. Cut tortilla wrap into bite sized chip wedges (as you would cut a pizza into 8 slices). Transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Transfer to baking sheet and bake in preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown and crispy, about 15 minutes.
2. To make dip, blend all ingredients except tomatoes in food processor. Add diced tomato after blending and mix well. Garnish with fresh chopped mint.
3. Enjoy the dip with freshly baked chips or fresh veggie crudités or both!
