English Pea Salad
Although it feels like summer, it is still spring and my garden is yielding the rewards of early planting. Green onions, leaf lettuce, herbs and English peas have given the inside of my refrigerator every shade of green. So I decided to combine all of them into a cold salad to help me cool off after a day outside. I mixed the salad ingredients together this morning and let it meld in the fridge for several hours. Then for a late lunch, I plated it on fresh lettuce and it was everything I wanted it to be … refreshing in every way, light enough for a midday meal that could easily transition to a delicious side dish for grilled meat. A plus is the beauty of this salad that makes you enjoy it even more!
English Pea Salad
Yield: 4-6 servings
1-1/2 pounds shelled fresh English peas
4 green onions, trimmed and sliced
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Leaf lettuce
Place the peas in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the onions, eggs, Parmesan, parsley, oil, salt, paprika, black pepper and cayenne. Add the cooled peas and stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving and stir in the bacon. Serve over leaf lettuce.
Haute Flavor 