Nothing symbolizes summer like shelling peas on the porch. There
were days growing up that the entire afternoon was spent on the screened porch
with massive stainless steel bowls slowly being filled with pink-eyed purple
hulls, white acres, or black-eyed peas. The floor was tiled with old newspapers to
catch the hulls as they fell empty, one by one. Any leftover time before
sundown was spent blanching and freezing enough peas to properly feed us
through winter.
A sweet friend, Brooke Stortz, brought me a tremendous bag of
shelled and ready to cook lady peas. I blanched a few for later and made a
salad for supper. With Vidalia onions in season and real tomatoes now coming off the
vines, this colorful salad is the epitome of summertime.
Lady Pea
Summer Salad
5 cups shelled
fresh lady peas
1 teaspoon
salt
1 medium
tomato, chopped
1 small
Vidalia onion, diced
3 tablespoons
chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon
white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon
fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons
Dijon mustard
Salt and
fresh ground pepper to taste
Bring 7 cups
water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Add peas and cook for about 35 minutes,
or until tender. Drain and cool. Transfer peas to a large mixing bowl. Stir in
tomato, onion, and basil.
Whisk olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard together in a small measuring cup. Pour over
peas and stir well. Allow salad to sit for 15 before serving.
Serves 4
NOTE: Salad
can be made one day in advance. Add basil before serving.
Copyright © 2012 Rebecca Lang Cooks, LLC. All rights reserved.
www.rebeccalangcooks.com
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