In the early months of spring I love going to a farmers market and finding the first of the season’s vegetables. They’re more tender and young in flavor, and take very little seasoning to make them delicious. My favorite early spring vegetables are snow peas. I will grab bag fulls and use raw in salads, blanched and added to pastas, or sautéed lightly and served as a side to grilled and roasted proteins. This recipe is quick –– once you’ve cleaned and removed the strings from the peas, the dish comes together in less than 10 minutes. The mushrooms are optional, but I find the sautéed mushrooms add an earthy note balancing the acid and complementing the protein main. If you’d like a less lemony flavor omit the lemon juice; the lemon zest is enough to make the dish bright. 

Lemon-Butter Snow Peas and Mushrooms
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
2 cups crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2½ cups snow peas, ends cut off and strings removed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
Salt and black pepper, to taste 

Directions 

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring salted water to a boil. Add snow peas and blanche for 30 to 45 seconds or until bright green and slightly tender but still crunchy. 
2. Remove peas and place in ice water to stop peas from cooking. 
3. In a medium sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter and melt over medium-high heat. Once butter starts to sizzle, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms until brown and wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
4. Lower heat to medium and add garlic, stirring to evenly distribute. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and stir to evenly coat the mushrooms and garlic. 
5. Drain peas and stir into mushrooms. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Cook for 1 minute, then add the lemon zest and cook for another minute. 
6. Add lemon juice and deglaze the pan, about 30 seconds. 
7. Serve warm with a sprinkle of flakey salt.

Unpretentious People Say...

Other Articles You Might Enjoy