Quinoa Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

I love cold grain salads in the summer. While I dive into green salads packed with fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis as well, they can't be prepared in big batches to enjoy for a few days without the quality going downhill rapidly with time. Grain salads, on the other hand, often get more flavorful with time as the flavors meld together and intensify (though you still shouldn't leave them too long). My grain of choice, especially for a main course, is quinoa. Quinoa is a complete protein, has a wonderfully chewy texture and nutty flavor, and can be prepared very quickly and easily. Once a very exotic ingredient, quinoa is slowly making its way into the mainstream, even available at Target. Here quinoa is blended with crunchy sugar snap peas, salty crunchy pumpkin seeds, and fresh chives, blended in a simple, balanced vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious just as written, the recipe is also a great template for making any grain salad that strikes your fancy. Swap our quinoa for another grain, peas for whatever the best looking vegetable is at the farmers' market, pumpkin seeds for other seeds or nuts, and chives for any fresh herb you love. Although it's a cliche, it certainly rings true here-the possibilities are endless!

Quinoa Salad with Sugar Snap Peas 
from Food and Wine
serves 6

1/2 pound sugar snap peas
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup minced chives

1. In a small saucepan of boiling salted water, simmer the peas until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and spread out on a large plate to cool, then pat dry. Cut the peas on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until all of the water has evaporated and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and fluff the quinoa, then transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.

3. In a bowl, combine the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the peas to the quinoa with the pumpkin seeds, chives and dressing; stir. Season with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature or lightly chilled. 

Ginger Shrimp, Sugar Snap Pea, and Corn Stir-Fry

Sugar snap peas are one of the things I most eagerly anticipate appearing at the farmers' market. Left to my own devices, I could probably eat a half-pound of fresh peas in one sitting, but they quite often make into stir-fries like this one. Shrimp is indelibly associated with sugar snap peas in my mind, needing only a generous sprinkling of red peppers and corn to complete this delicious and visually impressive meal. Healthy of portions of fresh and crunchy vegetables happily mingle with tender shrimp on a bed of rice (or noodles) in a subtly spicy sauce in this perfect summer meal. This stir-fry isn't particularly adventurous or unusual, but it is a wonderful collection of classic flavors that subtly accents the featured ingredients, letting them shine in the best possible light. In a move a bit off the beaten path, I served my stir-fry with wild rice (actually a grass) instead of my usual brown, a substitution I found immensely satisfying. Even more flavorful and texturally interesting than white or brown rice (though also more expensive), wild rice is a more complex accompaniment to stir-fry that I heartily recommend trying. Although there are surely many more stir-fry recipes to come as I impulsively buy vegetables at the farmers' market, I hope you enjoy this classic stir-fry to kick off a summer of bountiful produce.

Ginger Shrimp, Sugar Snap Pea, and Corn Stir-Fry
from Bon Appetit, via Epicurious
serves 4

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from about 2 ears)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
2 teaspoons black or white sesame seeds (optional)

1. Mix shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, half of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl. Let stand 1 hour.

2. Heat wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add shrimp mixture; sauté until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok, then add sugar snap peas, corn, bell pepper, green onions, 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, and remaining garlic. Stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Return shrimp and any accumulated juices from bowl to wok; stir-fry 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Shiitake, Sugar Snap, and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

When I was a kid, I had the cliched dislike of peas, and although I would sometimes even pick them out of soup, I always adored sugar snap and snow peas. As an adult, I still don't love plain peas, but can still gobble up massive quantities of any kind of peas in their pods (this is not an exaggeration-I have eaten an entire pound of sugar snap peas by myself in one sitting). And while I can't get enough of fresh, crunchy raw sugar snap peas, they also are one of my favorite stir-fry ingredients. Stir-fries can be carefully conceived dishes, or a quick and delicious way to use up odds and ends of vegetables, and this stir-fry is somewhere in between. I bought sugar snap peas with the intention of making some sort of stir-fry and fleshed out the recipe after picking up the other ingredients that simply struck my fancy at the farmers' market that I thought would go well with the sugar snap peas. The classic stir-fry Asian flavors of garlic, ginger, soy, and toasted sesame oil blend harmoniously with the fresh and crunchy peas and bok choy and earthy mushrooms and let the veggies take center stage in this dish. The next time you're staring at an odd collection of ingredients in the fridge or want to frame a dish around an ingredient that just looked too good to pass up at the farmers' market (my eternal problem), think no further than a stir-fry!


Shiitake, Sugar Snap Pea, and Bok Choy Stir-Fry
adapted from Food and Wine
serves 4

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces shiitake or oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 pound baby bok choy, stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces, leaves shredded
1/2 pound sugar snap peas
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2-4 cups cooked brown rice, for serving

1. In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the ginger, lemon juice, sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Set aside.

2. In a wok or a large nonstick frying pan, heat canola oil over moderately high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the bok-choy stalks and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the peas and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.

3. Add the bok-choy leaves and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pan. Cook, tossing gently, until the leaves just wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Remove the pan from heat and serve warm over brown rice.

Pistachio Apricot Grilled Chicken Salad

Main course salads are an absolute staple of summer dining for me. They showcase the wonderful plethora of produce available at the farmer's market, don't take much effort to put together, and don't require turning on the oven. Salads often get a bad wrap and people often assume that they're just a boring collection of veggies with dressing, when they are in fact one of the best palates for combining flavors. In this salad I combined fresh and crunchy greens and peas with sweet and chewy dried apricots, salty and savory Parmesan cheese and pistachios, and grilled chicken for a healthy and immensely flavorful salad. If you're a vegetarian, eliminate the chicken and increase the amount of the other toppings or use tofu, seitan, or even chickpeas, cannellini beans, or grilled mushrooms instead. Grilled chicken contributes more to the texture than the flavor of the dish so vegetarians will still get to experience the full flavor range of this delicious salad. Hopefully this recipe will not only encourage you give this particular salad a try, but to go forth and create your own unique recipes, using the best produce that summer has to offer.

Pistachio Apricot Grilled Chicken Salad
serves 2

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces mixed salad greens
4 ounces baby spinach
4 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and strings removed
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup roasted salted pistachios
1 oz. shaved Parmesan cheese
Salad dressing, for serving (I like Newman's Own Orange Ginger Dressing)

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook chicken breast until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F, remove from heat, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice evenly into thin slices.

2. Meanwhile, wash and dry greens and spinach and chop, if necessary. Divide greens and spinach between two large plates, topping each with half of the peas, apricots, and pistachios. Add the sliced chicken and sprinkle shaved Parmesan over the top. Drizzle with salad dressing and enjoy!

Sugar Snap Peas and Pasta

Sugar snap peas are one of the vegetables I most look forward to coming into season and they are abundant at the farmer's market now, much to my delight. I'll eat them pretty much any way they are prepared (as long as they aren't overcooked), but this is the first time I've made a pasta dish where the sauce is also composed of peas, as opposed to being tossed in whole. The rich olive oil and salty, savory cheese are balanced perfectly by the fresh flavor of the peas, achieving a flavor profile similar to that of pesto. Because this is a simple sauce, the quality of each of the ingredients is of the utmost importance, so use good olive oil and cheese for the best results. You can either pass the sauce through a chinois or fine mesh strainer to achieve a smooth consistency, but you can also skip that step for a sauce with a more rustic texture, my personal preference. If you're a fan of Meatless Mondays, give this fresh summer pasta dish a try tomorrow for dinner and you won't regret it.

Sugar Snap Peas and Pasta
adapted from Gourmet, via Epicurious
serves 4

1 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed and strings discarded

12 oz. whole wheat penne

1 medium garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup) plus additional for serving

1. Cook sugar snaps in an 8-quart pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes, then transfer 1 cup sugar snaps to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer cooled sugar snaps to a cutting board. Cook sugar snaps remaining in pot until tender, about 2 1/2 minutes more, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Measure out and save 1 cup cooking water, reserving remaining water in pot.

2. Return cooking water in pot to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, then drain in colander. While pasta is cooking, cut 1 cup sugar snaps (on cutting board) crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Purée half of sugar snaps from bowl, half of garlic paste, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 cup cheese, and 1/4 cup saved cooking water in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force purée with a rubber spatula through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl, if desired (I actually like a rustic, chunky texture). Purée another batch in same manner, forcing through sieve into bowl, and add cut sugar snaps.

3. Toss hot pasta with sugar snap sauce and, if necessary, enough of remaining 1/2 cup saved cooking water to thin sauce to desired consistency, then season pasta with salt and pepper.