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.
Shaved Turnip & Pea Shoot Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
This salad celebrates the fresh flavors of spring with crisp turnips, tender pea shoots, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
3-4 medium-sized turnips, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups fresh pea shoots
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the lemon vinaigrette – olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the thinly sliced turnips, fresh pea shoots, sliced red onion, crumbled feta cheese, chopped mint leaves, and chopped parsley.
3. Drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the salad ingredients in the bowl. Gently toss the salad until all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Radishes & Mint
This wonderful springtime salad gets an extra flavor boost courtesy of crunchy radish slices and zingy lemon zest.
Ingredients:
1 cup crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice, plus the zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped mint
½ bunch radishes, trimmed of greens, washed and thinly-sliced into rounds
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together the crème fraîche, lemon juice and fresh mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Fold in the radishes and snap peas, and then garnish the salad with the lemon zest. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
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.
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!
Preserved Meyer Lemons
Toss these preserved beauties with roasted fingerling potatoes, or whisk the pulp into a salad dressing or a Bloody Mary.
Ingredients:
6 Meyer lemons
â…“ cup kosher salt
â…” cup fresh lemon juice
Method:
1. Scrub lemons and dry well. Quarter lemons lengthwise.
2. Toss the lemon wedges with the salt in a bowl and transfer to a sterile 4-cup glass jar. Use a wooden spoon to press the lemons to fit. Add lemon juice and any remaining salt that might be left in the bowl. Seal jar tightly and shake to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 3 days, shaking jar each day. Transfer to the refrigerator for 3 weeks or until rinds are soft. Rinse before using.
Garden Greens with Chopped Eggs
This fresh salad is a lovely use for beautiful summer greens.
Ingredients:
4 cups mixed summer greens, washed and patted dry
½ pound green beans, trimmed
½ pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
Edible flowers, for garnish
Method:
1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Working in batches, blanch green beans in a pot of generously salted boiling water until bright and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath and let cool; remove. Return water in the pot to a boil, and blanch snow peas, in batches, about 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath until cool; remove peas, and cut in half.
2. Whisk together the anchovies, lemon juice and sour cream in a bowl. Slowly add oil in a steady stream, whisking until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Divide the lettuce greens, green beans and peas among four plates, and top each with chopped eggs and herbs. Drizzle with dressing, season with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with edible flowers.