July 25, 2007
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Peas in a Pod

The key to cooking field peas is to not overcook them. In fact a 10-minute bath in boiling water and then a quick sauté with seasonings (as in the recipe below) make these vegetables a real epiphany. The easy thing is that they all can be used interchangeably. If you don't have field peas, use lima beans in this recipe, which is perfect with roast chicken, corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes.

Speaking of pods, go to relishmag.com to hear our new podcasts with Chef Jon Ashton. One features Jon's Best Burger, which is another great accompaniment to the salad below.

Lady Pea Salad printer friendly version If you can't find field peas, lima beans will work just as well in this side dish. Ingredients 3 cups shelled field peas (such as lady peas or black eye peas) or lima beans 4 slices bacon 2 shallots, chopped 3 green onions, chopped 15 cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup shredded basil 1/2 cup feta cheese 1/4 teaspoon salt Coarsely ground black pepper Instructions 1. Combine peas and water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until beans are tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse. 2. Cook bacon in a large skillet, drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Add shallots and green onions to drippings; sauté 5 minutes. In a large bowl combine shallot mixture, peas, tomatoes, basil, feta, salt and pepper; toss gently. Serves 6. Nutritional Information Per serving: 190 calories, 5g fat, 11g prot., 26g carbs., 5g fiber, 330mg sodium. Relish Cookbook Over 75 recipes in a snazzy paint-chip style format. Looking for more recipes? Try searching our database of recipes. Jon's Best Burger printer friendly version This burger is courtesy of Chef Jon Ashton. It embraces Italy in a burger. Jon makes an indentation in the center of each patty, which makes it cook flatter, allowing you to stack toppings on better. Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt Coarsely ground black pepper 1/3 cup Martini and Rossi vermouth (optional) 4 tablespoons Boursin cheese 4 (1-ounce) slices mozzarella cheese 4 slices tomato Drizzle of balsamic vinegar Arugula leaves (rocket) 4 Ciabatta or Focaccia buns Instructions 1. Preheat grill. 2. Combine meat, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties. Make an indentation in center of each burger. 3. Grill 5 minutes; flip. Top with boursin and mozzarella cheese. Grill 5 minutes. Place arugula on bottom halves of buns. Top with burger, tomato slice and drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serves 4. Nutritional Information Per serving: 390 calories, 17g fat, 33g prot., 25g carbs., 1g fiber, 600mg sodium. Other Recipe Suggestions Purple Hull Pea Salad Three Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Green Onions Green Bean and Tomato Saute Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil Salad Lima Bean Casserole   If you liked this newsletter, give our website a try at http://www.relishmag.com.   If you would like to not receive future mailings of our newsletter, you can be removed from our list by using this link. Relish is a division of Publishing Group of America, Inc. All content within this site is ©2007 of Publishing Group of America unless otherwise noted.