The early months of spring bring sweet English peas and brilliantly colored radishes to our farmers market, and our garden also teems with the little vegetables. The two pair together nicely—the bitter crisp bite of radishes offsetting the gentle, soft sweetness of peas. Late in the evenings, when the spring air takes a chill, I take my little boy by the hand and we walk to the community garden that houses our English peas along ramshackle trellises, haphazard rows of French breakfast radishes, as well as the little cabbages that will continue to grow until fall. We gather what we can, and I always pluck a few handfuls of pea greens for good measure. It’s easy to neglect the pea greens while the pods grow fat and sweet, but they’re lovely—mild and sweet and rich in color. While pea tendrils can be tough, the leaves themselves are richly sweet with a clover-like aroma. I like to toss the greens, peas, and radishes together with yogurt, chives, and olive oil for one of my favorite early season salads.
SERVES 2 TO 4
SALAD
- 3 pounds English peas, shelled (about 3 cups)
- 8 medium radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced (1 cup)
- Loosely packed pea leaves
- 4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
DRESSING
- 3 tablespoons yogurt
- 2 tablespoons snipped chives
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of finely ground unrefined sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan.
- As the water begins to bubble, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with a few cups of ice and enough cold water to reach halfway up the sides of the bowl.
- Dump the peas into the boiling water and simmer, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes, until their color brightens and the peas can be pierced with a fork.
- Drain the peas using a fine-mesh sieve, then plunge the pea-filled sieve into the ice bath.
- Allow them to chill for 3 to 4 minutes, then pull them from the cold water.
- Toss the peas with radishes, pea leaves, and green onions.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt with the chives, oil, and salt until well combined.
- Drizzle the yogurt dressing over the pea salad and toss to coat before serving.
