Almost a Recipe: Field Pea Salad
Perfect for "fall" weather :)
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Yes, it’s early fall but basically that’s late summer here in South Carolina. So, it’s still hot, and most of our produce has succumbed to heat and disease pressure. BUT it’s not all sad because you can still find bags of fresh (or frozen) field peas and/or butter beans at local markets. I have loved these summer delicacies since I was a little girl. Growing up in Georgia we mostly ate them stewed with a bit of pork for flavor, and then many of my relatives would enjoy them with a garnish of finely diced raw onion. Yep, that's a pretty country!
While I could still be quite happy with that rendition, I have also come to value them as an addition to a grain salad and especially this time of the year when so many other veggies have hit the road! Just a few weeks ago I blanched a batch of field peas, boiled some shrimp, and tossed them with local farro for a hearty salad. My basil is thankfully still thriving so I added plenty of that and made a simple vinaigrette to dress. For a garnish I happened to still have fennel pickles left from the spring (promise to write up that recipe soon), and I crumbled some feta on top as well.
Side note: don’t skip this recipe if you do not have fresh field peas/butter beans. It would be equally good with dried beans (of course y’all know how much I love beans from Rancho Gordo.)
For a pairing, I would highly recommend a Gruner Veltliner from Austria, which I just wrote about here, or any other mineral driven white like Chablis, which I wrote about here, or Chenin Blanc, which I wrote about here, or a Sicilian white, which I wrote about here. Rosé could of course work as well, but the mineral driven whites just make so much sense to my palate with the creamy peas, earthy farro, sweet shrimp, and bright, punchy dressing!
Almost a recipe…
I can’t help it. I am an Aries and a perfectionist. Therefore, I sometimes get so mired down in making a recipe perfect that I never share it! Also there are some dishes like this one that I feel work better as an abstract notion – allowing you to substitute ingredients, increase/decrease quantities, etc.
For my interpretation of this dish, I used roughly 2 cups of cooked field peas, 3 cups of cooked farro, and 1 pound of boiled shrimp. I dressed with the attached recipe for vinaigrette. A nice scattering of torn basil leaves, pickled fennel, crumbled feta, and toasted pine nuts, and I was done! This was perfect for the two of us to enjoy for dinner with plenty of leftovers for the next day – so basically 4 servings!
Cooking field peas/butter beans for a salad:
I bring a big pot of very salty water to a boil with a few bay leaves and a tied up bunch of fresh thyme and then add fresh peas/butter beans. I cook at a simmer until the peas/beans are nice and soft (not al dente!), about 30 minutes. You will want to keep an eye on the pot as fresh peas/beans tend to foam up. Once done to my liking, I strain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and transfer to a baking dish to cool. (Of course, if you are cooking dried peas/beans it will take much longer to cook but basically the same process otherwise.)
Cooking farro (my way):
My method for farro is actually quite similar to the fresh pea/bean technique above. I bring a big pot of very salty water to a boil with a few bay leaves and a tied up bunch of fresh thyme and then add farro. I usually cook about 2 cups of farro each time as that provides plenty for other uses as well. I like to cook my farro until it is very tender and a little fluffy, which takes quite a while, about an hour. I realize this is not the preferred method for many cooks/chefs/recipe developers who will warn against overcooking farro, but I just prefer the fluffy,soft texture! Once done to my liking, I strain in a colander and then add back to the cooking pot and cook over low heat for just a couple of minutes to draw water out. I usually garnish with some olive oil at this point to prevent any stickiness.
Attached you will find my recipe for boiled shrimp for any salad situation! And my recipe for a basic vinaigrette!
Looking forward to the fennel pickles recipe! Sounds like a delish salad!