Pea Greens with Ume Plum Vinaigrette and Chive Blossoms
Pea greens are the immature green tendrils of the pea plant and often have a fresher “pea” flavor than garden peas themselves. Chive blossoms appear here for a few weeks in early spring and add a mellow onion flavor to everything from salad greens, to fresh sashimi, to buttermilk mashed potatoes. To use them, just pull the individual lavender petals off the chive blossom and sprinkle them directly on top of the salad after it is dressed.
Ingredients
Ume Plum Vinaigrette
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons ume plum vinegar (see Sources, page 264)
3 tablespoons verjus (unfermented juice from wine-quality grapes; see Sources, page 264)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons expeller-pressed vegetable oil
(makes 3/4 cup)
Preparation
Step 1
For each person, allow about 5 cups loosely packed pea greens and 1 tablespoon Ume Plum Vinaigrette.
Ume Plum Vinaigrette
Step 2
Put the shallots in a small bowl and add the vinegar, verjus, lemon juice, and sugar. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes and drizzle in the oil, whisking. Keeps several days refrigerated.
