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Peas

[ Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison (New York: Broadway Books, 1997). ]

Precious amd fleeting, peas occupy a tiny window in time in late spring and early summer. The minute heat sets in they're finished, but until then they are one of the most delectable treats in the vegetable world. Little need be done except to cook them as soon as you can. Unlike today's corn, their sugars guickly turn to starch once picked.

Peas can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried, made into soups and tossed shelled and uncooked into salads and pastas. They are so special and their season so brief that they beg for simple treatments.

Strings should be removed from pods. With a paring knife, cut into the stem end, lift the string that binds the pea like a zipper, and pull down to the blossom end. Turn and pull out the second string on the other side. Very small peas needn't be strung.

Sugar Snap Peas with Scallions and Dill

1 pound sugar snap peas, strung
6 scallions, including a few inches of the greens, finely sliced
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped dill or another favored herb

Put the peas in a skillet with the scallions, a few pinches salt, the butter, and enough water just to cover the bottom. Cook until bright gren and tender, after a minute or two — taste one to be sure. If using olive oil, add a little to the pan now. Taste for salt, season with a little pepper, and add the dill.

This basic dish is easy to vary: use shallots instead of scallions. A handful of peeled fava beans, pea shoots, and slivered asparagus tips added to the peas tunrs it into a spring vegetable sauté.

Recipes