Four Nights A Week

I’ve been a fan of Ellie Krieger, registered dietician and nutritionist, since finding her on the Saturday cooking marathons on our local PBS channel. Combining good basics of nutrition with accessibly creative cooking is an art form. This recipe, which was recently published in the Voraciously column of the Washington Post, takes full advantage of seasonal peas and is no exception to the delicious AND nutritious moniker.

With our somewhat late Spring arrival here in New England, I made a few adjustments: one is that I used thawed frozen peas. I thought this made a delightful alternative to fresh peas and, consequently makes this a year-round salad offering. I’d strongly advise using fresh herbs and fresh lemons over dried or dehydrated or reconstituted. There is no comparison.

Fresh peas are a definite sign of spring, and when the weather and temperatures are less-than-cooperative, this creative salad can be a good reminder that better weather is just around the corner.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (10 oz) shucked English peas (about 2 lbs) I used thawed frozen peas
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tsp fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 TBSP chopped fresh dill
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup (about 3/4 oz) thinly shave pecorino Romano (suggestion that Parmesan would be a good substitute)

Method

1. If using fresh peas, you’ll need to shuck them. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Place peas, onion, parsley, dill, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Toss to combine. Let sit about 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
4. Gently toss in the cheese right before serving.