Peas with Spring Onions, Lettuce & Herbs
This side dish from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters is bursting with the bright flavors of spring.
Ingredients:
1 pound shelled sweet peas
1 head of fresh lettuce, torn
1 cup spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Thyme sprig and fresh chives
Method:
1. In a saucepan, gently stew onions and lettuce leaves in a tablespoon each of butter and water, plus a sprig of thyme, until onions begin to soften.
2. Add shelled peas and cook until just tender. Season with salt and pepper and finish with a little butter and finely-chopped chives.
Grilled Spring Onions with Lemon & Herbs
This recipe elevates green onions from garnish to a stunning side dish.
Bright yet smoky from their time on the grill, these spring onions are excellent atop a pile of pasta!
Ingredients:
4-6 spring onions, trimmed of roots and tough outer ends, and rinsed
1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
- Heat the grill to high. Place onions on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the top then sprinkle with the pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Toss again to spread out the seasonings.
Grill onions until the whites are soft and the tops go brown. Remove from the grill and squeeze a little more lemon juice over top and garnish with the thyme.
Signs of Spring Recipes
Though our days continue to be drippy, the gardens are finally beginning to show signs of new life as the first of the shelling peas, mint and microgreens are now gracing us with their presence. Thus, spring fare takes center stage in this week’s box, too, with fresh semolina pasta, pain au levain bread and locally-crafted sharp cheddar cheese all helping to accent a bevy of produce that includes red cabbage rapini, romanesco and baby Japanese turnips. Crack open a bright Spanish white wine, pop a juicy apple cake into the oven and enjoy the first taste of the season!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Gemelli Pasta with Shelled Peas, Lemon & Mint
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, this light and lovely pasta recipe sings of spring.
Chilled Pea Soup
Cooking the peas briefly retains their vibrant color, while the addition of fresh herbs keeps the finished soup tasting bright.
Shelled Pea Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
This bright salad is beautifully balanced by fresh mint and Marcona almonds.
Butter-Braised Turnips with Greens & Baby Shiitake Mushrooms
Simmered in rich chicken stock, this dish is finished with lemon juice and thyme for fresh appeal.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Buttered Breadcrumbs
Topped with buttery, golden brown breadcrumbs, these Brussels sprouts are the epitome of comfort food.
Arugula Pesto
This bright, flavorful pesto is wonderful drizzled over this week’s chilled pea soup or pea and mint pasta main!
F&L Apple Cake
Moist and incredibly flavorful, this cake comes together in just minutes!
English Shelling Peas with Parsley Compound Butter & Mint
This beautiful spring side is accented by stewed pearl onions, fresh Romaine and bright mint.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups freshly-shelled English peas
6-8 pearl onions
½ cup chicken stock
1 cup thinly-sliced baby Romaine
3 tablespoons fresh mint
1 tablespoon Farm & Larder parsley compound butter, at room temperature
Method:
1. To peel onions, trim root ends of onion, and drop in a stockpot of cold water. Season with salt. Bring water to a boil, quickly blanching onions until just tender, about 1 minute. Strain and rinse onions with cold water. Gently squeeze the pointed, non-root tip of each onion, the tender flesh will pop right out.
2. Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add peas and onions and simmer until peas are heated through, and onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
3. Add in Romaine lettuce and fresh mint. Toss to coat with parsley compound butter. Season with salt as needed.
Spring Onion & Herb Frittata
Farm eggs, sweet spring onions, and fresh herbs come together in this simple, satisfying frittata—perfect for brunch, lunch, or an easy supper.
Ingredients:
6–8 farm-fresh eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 red spring onion, thinly sliced
1–2 cloves green garlic, sliced
1 cup purple sprouting broccoli, cut into small pieces
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup fromage blanc, ricotta, or grated cheese (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. In an oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add spring onion and green garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes.
Add the broccoli and cook for another 3–5 minutes, until just tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the herbs and cheese, if using.
3. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, tilting the pan to distribute evenly. Cook on the stovetop for 2–3 minutes, until the edges begin to set.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the center is just set. Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Spring Onion & Green Garlic Labneh
This creamy spring onion and green garlic labneh from Chef Nicco Muratore is brightened with lemon and mint—an ideal, tangy counterpoint to rich, spiced dishes like lamb meatballs.
Ingredients:
1 spring onions
4 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs mint
1 stalk green garlic
1 cup labneh or Greek yogurt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Method:
1. Mince the bottom bulb of the spring onion and then finely slice the greens. Pick the parsley and mint off the stems and finely chiffonade the herbs. Mince the green garlic stalk.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the labneh, minced onion, garlic and fresh herbs, plus lemon zest and juice, dried mint, salt and olive oil. Mix until combined and taste for acid and salt, adjusting if necessary. Serve alongside grilled meats.
Baked Caramelized Onions
Whip up a batch at the beginning of the week, then enjoy these beauties tossed with roasted vegetables, incorporated into sandwiches or mixed into scrambled eggs all week long!
Ingredients:
5 pounds yellow or red onions, or a mixture of both (about 5-6 onions total)
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Peel and trim onions, then half and cut into ¼-inch slices.
2. Place onion slices into a large stockpot or Dutch oven, then drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt, tossing to distribute. Cover and place in oven.
3. Bake onions for 2 to 2½ hours until golden brown, stirring the onions every 15 minutes or so, scraping the sides of the pot so that the onions do not stick. Store the caramelized onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Spring English Pea Hummus
Bright, creamy, and kissed with spring sweetness, this English pea hummus from Chef Nicco Muratore blends tender chickpeas with fresh peas, tahini, and lemon for a vibrant twist on a classic.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw chickpeas (soaked overnight with 1 tablespoon baking soda before cooking)
2 cups English peas
1 cup tahini
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup water
2 cloves garlic, grated on microplane
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Method:
1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in water with the baking soda. The next day, drain the water from the beans and add 3 quarts cold tap water to a pot with the beans. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that comes to the top of the pot. Once at a boil, turn the chickpeas down to a simmer and cook until fully soft. Once cooked, strain the chickpeas and reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the English peas for 30-45 seconds, and drain.
3. Transfer the chickpeas and peas to a food processor and add the tahini, lemon, water, garlic olive oil, salt, and cumin. Blend until smooth and season with salt. If the mixture is very thick, add some of the cooking liquid into the food processor to get to hummus consistency. Transfer into a container and cool in the fridge until serving.
Gemelli Pasta with Shelled Peas, Lemon & Mint
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, this light and lovely pasta recipe sings of spring.
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh gemelli pasta
2 cups fresh shelled peas (from about 1 lb. in the pod)
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions. Add peas to cook during the last 30 seconds of pasta cooking time. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, set aside. Drain the pasta and the peas together.
2. Dry out the pasta pot, and pour in the heavy cream. Bring the cream to a simmer, and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the butter, and stir it until it has melted. Generously season the sauce with black pepper, add a pinch of salt as well as the lemon zest. Add ¾ cup Parmesan, and stir it until the sauce is smooth; then toss in the drained pasta & peas.
3. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Add the reserved pasta water by the spoonful if needed to loosen up the sauce. Garnish with remaining Parmesan, chopped parsley and mint and serve immediately.
Pasta Primavera
This colorful pasta is incredibly versatile—feel free to add in any of your favorite spring veggies!
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta of your choice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ pound baby carrots, trimmed of greens and sliced into coins
½ pound asparagus, ends snapped and sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
¾ cup freshly-shelled peas
¼ cup thinly sliced leeks, white part only
4 cups braising greens
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
â…” cup grated Grana-style cheese
¼ cup crème fraîche or ricotta cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Salted capers and Piranske Soline Fior di Sale sea salt
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, asparagus, peas and leeks. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in braising greens and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more, until the greens are wilted. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain well and transfer pasta to the skillet. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, grated Grana cheese, crème fraîche or ricotta and herbs. Top each serving with salted capers and a pinch of sea salt, as desired.