Sunday, August 29, 2010

Farmers Market Salad: Fresh Field Peas & Corn with Basil, Scallions and a Garlic Tarragon Aioli

 
Little bowl, big flavor
Believe it or not, until recently I had never  tasted a fresh field pea. Can you imagine? It's enough to make my Southern great grandma roll over in her grave.  But thanks to my local farmers market, that sad state of affairs has ended and I am now acquainted - and madly in love - with all things fresh pea. I could never choose between the earthy crowder pea and the nutty black eyed pea, so for this salad I used both.  You could use canned or dried peas, but if you can get your hands on fresh ones, by all means use them.

With food that's this fresh-off-the-farm good, you really don't have to do that much for the flavors to come together and sing.  And you definitely don't need to stick to the recipe - if ever there was a dish that allowed for loose interpretation, this is it.

I started off with those yummy fresh field peas - and at  $3/pound, I got extra. They freeze well, so I intend to enjoy them in the dead of winter.  Plus, the farmer was selling them already shelled. How could I resist?
Crowder peas, top; black-eyed peas, bottom
There was a long line for the fresh peas and beans!
For my salad, I used about a half pound each of the crowder and black eyed peas. To prepare, I washed and rinsed them twice in a bowl of water. Then I brought a pot of water to the boil, reduced the heat, and simmered the peas for about 20 minutes, until tender. When finished, I shocked them in cold water. Meanwhile,  I sauteed some fresh corn (from about 2 ears) in a bit of olive oil, just long enough to warm it up:
For the aioli, I combined roughly 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (you can use either homemade or organic store bought, or use Veganaise to make the whole dish vegan), 2-3 garlic cloves that I  mashed in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of sea salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a handful of fresh chopped tarragon:

I then tossed the beans and corn with some fresh, rough chopped basil and green onions, and combined with the dressing to taste:

To serve, I topped with some quartered fresh cherry tomatoes and salted and peppered the whole thing. I didn't add the tomatoes directly to my salad because I didn't want them to get yucky in the event of leftovers. (There were almost none.)

The sweet corn and earthy/nutty/creamy beans coated with the garlicky dressing, punctuated by the occasional crunch of a green onion and tangy burst of late August tomatoes ... oh, momma.  It's somehow hearty and simultaneously refreshing. Who says healthy food has to be bland or boring?





28 comments:

  1. Oh, wow! What a magnificent combination! Gorgeous to look at, and I'll bet it made for a very satisfying summer meal!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love terragon. I just made a recipe with it and have a bunch left. Maybe I'll make this salad to use the rest of it. It looks spectacular!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gorgeous summer meal! I have never, fresh and delicious looking, I need to start eating more of this since my vacation time killed my diet this is perfect~ great combo and fabulous pictures wow~

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have never had a fresh field pea either. Now I want to try it. What a beautiful and nutritious salad. A hardy summer dish indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nay, your grandmomma would be so proud of you if she saw your blog! Everything screams FRESH in this post. And you're absolutely right, healthy food just need gentle flavours here and there, and they are perfect like that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow that looks delicious and soooo very fresh! Gorgeous photos as well - thanks for sharing:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is lovely. I have not had fresh field peas either... always only able to get them frozen from the supermarket.

    ReplyDelete
  8. there is nothing better than fresh as you know and now I am glad you've gotten to know field peas - they are sooooo good. If you ever run across 'lady peas or creamers' do cook those, wonderful ... love this recipe with the aioli added, great summer salad

    ReplyDelete
  9. Now THIS is a bean salad. I wish fresh beans were always so available and plentiful.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Girlfriend! I totally am gettin' some peas and making this salad! I LOVE the pea, just love it! As usual, your play-by-play photos make this look even better-er!

    ReplyDelete
  11. oh, so lucky to find fresh black eyed peas! they are one of my favorites! wonderful looking salad and so healthy, too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well, I have never had these peas either; but I can see that the salad (with the tarragon especially) must be delightful!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a gorgeous and healthy dish...Love these flavors and textured :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I am so jealous that you can actually get those fresh peas! They look so much better! One healthy looking dish ever. Hmm..mm...yummm.... Thanks. The photos are fantastic. Enjoy your day.
    Cheers, kristy

    ReplyDelete
  15. Looks delicious... when I was first married, the only vegetable my husband would eat was a field pea... I ate any vegetable dumb enough to be in my line of vision... ultimately, I won him over to my side... but, this is a great recipe and thanks for sharing... come visit when you can...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Looks wonderful .. Wat a great recipe !!!

    - Smita
    littlefoodjunction.blogspot.com
    (fun food ideas for picky eaters )

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lovely summer salad - all the ingredients are so fresh and super delicious flavors!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hey Trix, I'm so glad you know the awesomeness of fresh peas now (smile). I never see them here in the Tampa bay area at all, but, when I visit my Mom in Atlanta in the Spring and Summer, we get them from the Dekalb Farmer's market. They are so good, and, yes, there is a line sometimes there too;)
    Your salad could be a meal for me with a piece of whole grain bread-that's all I need! Oh, and I think tarragon is underrated. I love it...

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a beautiful fresh pea salad, this would not be safe around me because I think I would eat the entire bowl that's how good it looks, YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Beautiful salad. The garlic tarragon aioli takes it to a whole new level.

    A very smartly constructed salad.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm with you, Trix, I have never eaten a fresh pea that wasn't green. Must check out the farmer's market on Saturday and see what they have with your sterling recommendation..wow! Nummy recipe and my curiosity is so peeked!

    ReplyDelete
  22. YES,yes,YES!! Love the aioli and the combination of peas! Great photos Trix and I am so envious of that crackle top table of yours *sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks everybody!!
    @denise - That's no table, that's my front porch! Yes, I run my food outside to photograph it ... and yes, my porch needs to be painted but I'm afraid to do it because I don't want it to change my photos! Talk about being blog obsessed, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  24. I dont think I have tried EITHER crowder peas or black eyed peas! This salad does look good though and nice photos too, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  25. Lovely recipe, I love fresh peas and beans, unfortunately hard to find, but they sure make wonderful meals. Very summery and fresh, that aiol is a great enhancer!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Fantastic! Another cook who uses tarragon. I don't see it often enough in recipes, and it's such a terrific herb!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I'm always looking for fresh pea recipes b'cuz my husband loves them. These are delicious. A keeper and great to bring to a gathering.

    ReplyDelete