Monday, July 19, 2010

Peas!

I was recently in Syracuse, NY to celebrate my grandmother's 89th birthday.  She's an amazing and strong woman, my Nanny, and I was glad to be able to spend some time with family.  On the way back to Boston, I was able to stop at the farm and pick some goodies to bring with me.  Thanks David & Al!!


I was very excited to hear that there were more shelling peas to be picked!  There was also some snow peas, spinach, lettuce, and young garlic!  I need to get out there more often :)  I hope you'll forgive me that I'm posting another recipe that pairs peas with pesto.  They just go so well together!   These were quite yummy, and I think my dinner guests agreed :)



Pesto Pea Crostini
Recipe by Shannon
Yield:  1/2c pesto pea mixture, enough for 4-6 as an appetizer w/crostini

1c shelled fresh (or frozen) peas
1 sm garlic clove
2T freshly grated Parmesan
freshly ground black pepper
2T pesto
1-2T olive oil
your favorite loaf of bread (I used ~8oz of Trader Joe's peasant bread, cut into thin slices and then in half)
good olive oil

If using fresh peas, shell them while bringing a medium pot of water to a boil.  Prepare an ice bath in a small bowl (just add cold water and ice).  Add peas to boiling, salted water and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking and preserve the vibrant green color.

Add peas, garlic, parmesan, pepper and pesto into the bowl of a food processor.  Process until well combined, drizzling in olive oil until mixture comes in together into a smooth spread.

This can be made ahead, simply refrigerate until using.

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 400 (or broil).  Spread out your bread in a singe layer and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake until crispy.  Remove and set crostini on a platter.  Top with a dollop of the pea-pesto mixture and serve!


Race recap to come later this week...

16 comments:

brandi said...

i can't wait to read your race recap!!! :)

and great minds think alike! I'm going to have to get some more peas so I can try this recipe.

vanillasugarblog said...

now this is a meal in this weather. right? how is the foot? i don't know how you exercise in this weather. i can't walk. lol
i am looking forward to fall though! LOL

Lauren said...

Beautiful summer entertaining hors d'oeuvre !

Lisa (bakebikeblog) said...

What a gorgeous little dish! Thanks for sharing :)

Joanne said...

I have been having some serious pea pesto cravings lately...and personally I blame it on you :P not that that's a bad thing! Can't wait to hear about the race!

Reeni said...

Can you believe I've never had pea pesto - I need to make this ASAP! It's so vibrant and delicious looking!

We Are Not Martha said...

I love peas! And this looks so pretty... I made a "pea mint mash" a couple weeks ago and it looks a bit similar. Peas make such great spreads :)

Sues

Cara said...

I've never actually had fresh shelling peas - I think I need to find some! Happy Birthday to your grandma!

Kelly said...

I adore peas. I bought a bunch at the farmers market this weekend and cannot wait to cook with them. A year or so ago I made pea ravoli out of Great Chefs Cook Vegan and they were amazing. While I love trying new recipes I think it might be time for a repeat.

Adventures in Domestic Cooking said...

How tasty!!=)

Sophie @ yumventures said...

This is such a great idea. I love peas too!

Chef Dennis Littley said...

what a wonderful snack this would be...those lovely fresh peas on that crusty bread! summer perfection!

Esi said...

I love pesto and I really love peas. Sounds delicious!

Faith @ LovelyAsCharged said...

I know I say this all the time, but I'm definitely going to be making this recipe! Bread + veggies = perfection. Always.

Can't wait to hear how the race went!

Rosiecat24 said...

Ooh, I love pea dips! Yum. And aren't peas and basil a heavenly combination? I want to try this recipe--this would be great for those nights when I want a low-key dinner, something to go with a big salad and a glass of wine. Aaahhh...I feel more relaxed just thinking about it.

Kerstin said...

These look like the perfect summer app!

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