SPRING PEA SALAD

Easter eggs, daffodils, and fresh peas—it must be spring.  Further north, salmon loaf and boiled peas is the supper of springtime.  Down our way, it’s the first covered dish feast that features a pea salad.  The traditional ones often have a mayo-based dressing and chunks of sharp cheddar.  Here’s a fresh or frozen pea salad with feta cheese, English cucumber and a simple sweet balsamic dressing.  Ingredients are very adaptable to the portions you need.  If using frozen peas:  blanch the peas in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water with 10 or more ice cubes.  Peas will stay firm and bright green for the salad.

• 2-3 cups of fresh or frozen peas (blanched if frozen, boiled briefly if fresh)
• English cucumber
• Dried dill weed
• Salt and pepper
• About 4 oz of feta cheese, crumbled
• Sweet balsamic dressing
  • 3 tablsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tblsp olive oil
  • 1 tblsp dark brown sugar

Salad:

Prepare peas, drain and spread on paper towels on baking sheet to dry.  Using a mandoline, or very sharp knife, slice ½ the cumber into thin slices.  Using a vegetable peeler, slice long thin slices from the other ½ cucumber, to line the serving platter.  Toss the cooked peas with the thin cucumber rounds, chunks of feta, salt and pepper and the dill weed. Add dressing, 1 tblsp at a time, until salad is moist and flavorful.  Line platter with long cucumber slices, pile on pea salad, and set in small dish of extra dressing.

Dressing:

Stir brown sugar into balsamic vinegar until it’s dissolved.  Gradually add olive oil, whisking briskly.  Or use a covered jar and shake everything until well blended and sugar is dissolved.

The Kitchen Hive