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Epicurious

Spring Pea Toasts with Lemon Olive Oil and Fresh Pea Shoots

Fresh green peas and their curlicue shoots are one of the first signs of spring at my local farmer’s markets, and I can never resist combining the two in these refreshing and delicately flavored toasts or Meyer Lemonade. Shake it up with a MEYER LEMONADE (see page 27)

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes about 2 cups, enough for about 2 dozen crostini

Ingredients

1/2 pound shelled fresh green peas (in the South we call these English peas)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves, smashed
8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 crostini (see Know-how, page 19)
Lemon Olive Oil (recipe follows), for drizzling on top
24 fresh pea shoots or baby watercress or arugula (about 1 cup)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Rinse and drain the peas, discarding any blemished peas or bits of pod. Place in a food processor along with the lemon zest and juice, garlic, mint, and chives and pulse four or five times to chop. With the motor running slowly, add the olive oil to puree and make a paste, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse several more times to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste and pulse to mix.

    Step 2

    Spread a heaping teaspoon of the pea mixture on top of each crostini, drizzle with Lemon Olive Oil, top each with 1 pea shoot, and serve at room temperature.

  2. Lemon Olive Oil

    Step 3

    Combine 1 cup fruity green extra-virgin olive oil and the zest and juice of 1 lemon in a glass jar, screw on the lid, and shake to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use, or for up to 2 weeks.

Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved. Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.
TagsToastSandwichSouthernAmericanPea ShootLeafy GreensVegetablePeaBean and LegumeLemonCitrusFruitMainBreakfastVegetarianNut FreeQuickEasyNo-CookFood ProcessorEasterSpringCookbooks
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