Peas, please: preparing the spring bounty

When one of my daughters was a toddler, a well-meaning friend gave her a picture book about a dinnertime negotiation between a mother and child called "Eat Your Peas." The little girl in the story could not be persuaded to eat her peas even when bribed with a freezer full of ice cream bars or a trip to Disney World.

Instead of sympathizing with the girl, my daughter tossed aside the book in disgust. "What is wrong with her? Peas are delicious!" In fact, both of my children place peas not in the vegetable category, but alongside jelly beans and Skittles as special treats. They love peas' sweetness, and the fun factor of popping the bright green spheres out of the pods and eating them raw. Peas' limited availability -- the sweetest peas are grown locally and harvested in June and early July -- contributes to their allure. At this time of year, when tender pea shoots are poking up from the ground and promising to produce not only English peas but sugar snaps and snow peas, I start thinking about how to enjoy them while they last.

Pea Shoots are the leaves of pea plants. Choose bright green, crisp (not limp) shoots and store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a day or two. Tender pea shoots can be added to greens to give your salad a distinctive green pea flavor. Try tossing pea shoots with olive oil and then topping individual portions with a fried egg and a sprinkling of crisp crumbled bacon or pancetta.

English Peas (also called garden or shelling peas) must be shelled before eating. Look for bright green, firm, unblemished pods. Smaller peas are sweeter than older, larger ones. It is a pain to shell enough peas to get four side-dish servings. I prefer preparations that require no more than a cup of shelled peas. One of my favorites: Blanch a cup of peas for just a minute, drain well, and lightly mash with some fresh ricotta cheese, chopped mint and sea salt, to spread on grilled bread or crostini. A cup of uncooked peas is a wonderful addition to a frittata. Or toss them with fresh pasta, butter, salt, lemon zest and grated Parmesan.

Sugar Snap Peas are the most popular variety of edible-podded peas, with good reason: They deliver the sweetness of shelling peas along with the crunch of snow peas.

Choose plump pods. Make sure the pods are shiny and bright green, an indication of freshness. Trim the woody stems and remove the tough fibrous strings along the sides before cooking. I love blanched sugar snap peas in stir fries. Or I'll blanch them and toss them with salad greens.

Snow Peas are another popular type of edible-podded peas. Choose snow peas that are no longer than 3 inches, pale to medium green, with tiny but visible bulges. With younger peas it is not necessary to remove stems or strings. Try blanching them and then combining them with cold cooked shrimp and a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.

RECIPE

Snap Pea and Grilled Chicken Salad

Substitute an equal amount of snow peas for the snap peas if you'd like. If you love peas as much as I do, you might want to add ½ cup or so of raw shelling peas to the salad and/or serve it on a bed of pea shoots.

8 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) sugar snap peas, woody ends trimmed, strings removed

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salt

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

10 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped

1/2 cup shelled English peas (optional)

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

8 cups pea shoots (optional)

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add sugar snap peas and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, rinsing under cold water to stop cooking. Place on paper towels to dry.

2. Preheat a gas grill to high. Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with salt.

3. Whisk together lime juice, sugar and ginger in a large mixing bowl until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and pepper flakes. Add snap peas, radishes, scallions, English peas if desired, and salt to taste.

4. Turn heat down to medium-high and grill chicken, grill cover closed, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Let chicken rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes, slice thin and toss with dressed snap peas. Serve over pea shoots if desired. Makes 4 servings.