1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and strings removed
2 tablespoons mint leaves (preferably black mint) roughly chopped
¼ cup Simple Lemon Dressing (recipe below)
Maldon or other flaky sea salt
Lemon juice
A large handful of delicate, peppery arugula
Combine the peas and mint in a large bowl. Pour in the dressing and toss gently but well. Season to taste with more salt and lemon. Add the arugula to the bowl and toss gently to coat the leaves in the dressing without bruising them. Arrange it all prettily on a platter and serve straightaway.
Tip: To make the salad even more exciting run the tip of your knife along the spine of some of the larger pea pods, open them like a book to expose the peas, and gently pull to separate the two sides of the pod. Slice others diagonally in half or thirds. Keep small ones whole.
Serves 4 as a side
Simple Lemon Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
¾ teaspoon Maldon or another flaky sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake well until the mixture looks creamy. Taste and add a little more oil, lemon or salt, if you’d like. Set aside until you’re ready to use it and shake again just before you do.
Source: Bloomfield, April, David Loftus, J. J. Goode, and Sun Young Park. “Put a Spring in Your Step.” A Girl and Her Greens: Hearty Meals from the Garden. New York, NY: Ecco, an Imprint of HarperCollins, 2015. 19-50. Print.
