Salad of Late Spring Vegetables with Mint, Feta & Black Olives ...and a great Basic Vinaigrette

One day last week I joined a friend at a small bar & grill near my home for lunch.  I ordered a Reuben.  I couldn't resist.  And it was delicious.  But as is so often the case, it was very large...too large.  And even though I only ate half of it, it was just too much—so much heavier than the kinds of things I normally eat for lunch.  When the dinner hour rolled around I still wasn't very hungry.  What I really wanted was a plate of raw vegetables.

As I looked through my vegetable drawer, I realized that something fresh, light and raw was definitely within my reach.  The market this time of year is serving up young, crisp root vegetables (radishes, carrots, white top "salad" turnips), crunchy head lettuces (like iceberg and romaine)...and peas of all kinds.  As I looked at all of this bounty I remembered a salad I taught in a recent class.   The salad features shaved radishes and lightly blanched snow peas...but it's mostly an idea for how to combine and enjoy the best vegetables of late spring in their raw and lightly cooked state.  Suddenly the light and fresh meal that I craved was taking shape. 

Two things set this salad apart:  the vinaigrette...and the combination of the olives, feta and mint.  Over the past couple of weeks I have made this salad with lots of different combinations of vegetables, but always the same dressing and garnish.  It has been delicious every time. The vinaigrette is my current "house" vinaigrette.  It is from Monique Jamet Hooker's Cooking with the Seasons and is appropriately dubbed "Basic Vinaigrette."  It is tangy and flavorful, but neutral enough to go with all kinds of different ingredients and styles of salads.  You can even turn it into a creamy vinaigrette by adding some heavy cream (add a tablespoon of cream for every two tablespoons of vinaigrette).  It is a great vinaigrette to keep on hand.  It doesn't separate (the presence of the Dijon...and mixing it in a blender...contribute to a stable emulsion) and it stays liquid in the refrigerator, ready to be used without having to be set out to warm up and become liquid again.

As for the garnish, the salt in the feta and olives does a fantastic job of drawing out the flavors of each vegetable.  This is what the classic pairing of radishes with butter and salt is all about—elevating a simple raw vegetable and allowing it to shine.  Similarly, if you have never enjoyed a carrot, cut into slender sticks and accompanied by a little pile of salt in which to dip them, you should give it a try.

The mint too seems indispensable to me.  It adds the perfect cool and fresh tone to the salad.  I'm pretty sure I would miss it if it weren't there.  It does not seem like a coincidence to me that at the same time the young root vegetables and peas are thriving on the farms in my region that the mint in my garden is at its best—reveling in the cool days of spring.  Mint is a wonderful partner for the vegetables of spring.  If you don't have mint, I'm sure other soft herbs would be good too...flat leaf parsley...perhaps some dill...or basil...  But I don't think any of them would have quite the same effect as the mint.   

The manner of cutting the vegetables is important too.  Everything should be finely/thinly sliced or shaved.  The lettuces, since they are inherently thin, can be cut into a small rough chop, but I think they look pretty when shaved/thinly sliced.  Carrots, radishes, turnips and fennel should all be thinly sliced on a mandolin or the salad becomes an exercise for your jaw more than anything else.  Snap peas and snow peas benefit from a one minute blanch in boiling water.  It sets their bright green color and softens their crunch just a bit.  It would be better to eat them raw than to cook them to mush though....a minute really is sufficient.  And make sure you rinse them under cold running water or drop them in an ice bath to stop the cooking (and then spread them on towels to dry so the water clinging to them won't water down your vinaigrette).  After blanching, the peas can be added to the salad whole...or sliced on the diagonal into two or three pieces.  English peas are also pretty in this salad—tossed in raw or blanched.  I have even added asparagus...thinly sliced on a slight diagonal.  You can blanch it...or not.  Asparagus can also be shaved into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler...in which case you would add it raw. 

Shredded Iceberg, radishes, sugar snap peas, asparagus, sunflower shoots and mint

I would advise against using too many different kinds of vegetables.  In addition to the lettuce, a medley of four or five (or less) seems like a nice number...each item remains identifiable in the mix.  Too much more than that and the individual interest of each one is lost.  As with the original snow pea and radish salad that inspired mine, you can dispense with the lettuce altogether (if you don't have it...or don't like it), but I find that a little adds fluff and a bit of lighter crunch in the midst of the more serious crunch of the root vegetables.  

Finally, when you are choosing your vegetables consider whether they are hot and pungent...or sweet and mild...and balance them accordingly.  I personally like a salad of at least a third...preferably half...sugar snap or snow peas.  Peas are naturally sweet...and their crunch is delicate.  The salad would seem more like a relish or root vegetable slaw without them.

I don't very often eat such a light meal for dinner, but on the evening in question—served with a bit of nice bread—it was just the thing.  It will probably be the rare occasion when this salad appears on my dinner table as anything but a side (it would be great with grilled burgers...or fish...or chicken...).  But since that first dinner, I have had it for lunch several times.   Each time the composition of vegetables and lettuces has been slightly different.  And each time it has been a delicious little celebration of the light and fresh foods that are filling my farmers' market right now. 

Salad of Late Spring Vegetables with Feta, Olives & Mint

1 lb. (trimmed weight) young spring vegetables—use a mix of three or four of the following:  radishes, carrots, fennel bulb, white top salad turnips, asparagus spears, sugar snap peas, snow peas

6 oz. (more or less) chopped or thinly shaved ice berg lettuce or romaine hearts

Salt & Pepper

1/2 c. mint chiffonade

About a half cup basic vinaigrette, plus more for drizzling

1/2 c. olives, pitted and cut into lengthwise strips

1/2 to 2/3 c. crumbled Feta

Prepare the vegetables:  For sugar snap and snow peas, remove the strings. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Add the peas and blanch until the water returns to a boil—about a minute.  Transfer the peas to a bowl of ice water.  When cold, lift out and spread on kitchen towels.  Blot dry.  They may be left as they are, but I like to cut them into 1/4-inch strips on the diagonal.

Asparagus may be cut in thin slices on a short diagonal and added raw or blanched (like the peas), or they may be shaved into long strips using a vegetable peeler and added raw.

Fennel and young root vegetables should be trimmed and sliced thinly crosswise (at a slight angle if appropriate) using a mandolin.  Peel the carrots and salad turnips first, if you like.  I would recommend peeling if the skin is especially tough or dirty.

Place the vegetables, lettuce and mint in a large bowl.  Season well with salt & pepper.  Drizzle in about a third cup of the vinaigrette.  Toss until everything is well coated...adding more vinaigrette as necessary.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  You may add the Feta and olives and toss to combine—or plate the salad (on individual plates or in a large serving bowl) by layering handfuls of salad and sprinkling of feta and olives in between the layers, finishing with a final scattering of feta and olives and a drizzle of vinaigrette, if you like.  Serve right away.  If you have not used any lettuce, the salad may be held briefly in the refrigerator before serving.  Serves 4 as a light entrée or lunch...8 as a side salad. 

Notes: 

• Quantities of vinaigrette, mint, olives and Feta should be to taste.  I have given amounts only as a starting point.  You should alter to suit your preferences and your palate.
• I think this salad is best when 1/3 to 1/2 of the vegetables are made up of sugar snap or snow peas.  As you consider the vegetables you will add, think about the character of each...whether they are hot and pungent...or sweet and mild...and balance them accordingly to obtain a pleasing whole.
• The quantities in this recipe are easily divided for an impromptu lunch for one...or multiplied for a large party or buffet platter.  In general, the amounts given are a guideline.   You should use amounts and quantities that suit your appetite and your palate.
• Sprouts and shoots make a delicious addition to this salad.  More substantial varieties can be tossed in with the lettuce and vegetables...more delicate ones should be scattered over the finished salad.

Basic Vinaigrette:

1 T. finely minced shallot

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 T. Dijon mustard

3/4 c. oil—olive oil, or half olive oil and half vegetable oil

1 T. finely minced parsley

Place the shallot, garlic, vinegar, pepper and a half teaspoon of kosher salt in the cup of an immersion blender...or regular blender.  Let sit for five minutes.  Add the mustard. With the blender running, add the oil in a thin stream to form a thick, emulsified dressing.  Add the parsley and process briefly...or simply stir in.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Makes 1 cup vinaigrette.

The dressing keeps at least two weeks in the refrigerator.  If all olive oil is used, it will solidify under refrigeration and you will need to bring to room temperature before using.  When made with half vegetable oil it will still be pourable when cold.

Note: You may add the parsley with the Dijon...just be aware that your vinaigrette will have a pale green cast to it.

(Vinaigrette recipe from Cooking with the Seasons by Monique Jamet Hooker)

Printable Recipe

Parmesan Pudding (Sformato)

I'm not sure if I first bumped into Parmesan Pudding in Joyce Goldstein's wonderful little book Solo Suppers or in Suzanne Goin's Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  It could have been either one...both books are favorites.  I turn to Goin's book for professional inspiration on a regular basis.  I use Goldstein's as more of a treasure trove for the kinds of things I like to eat when I'm cooking at home. 

Parmesan Pudding, as it happens, is useful in both situations.  I have served it to clients as part of an elegant entrée (with chicken and a medley of spring vegetables, for example)...and we enjoy it at my house as the centerpiece of a light dinner...with a seasonal vegetable ragoût...or a simple salad.  It is a delicious little preparation to have in your repertoire.

You might have encountered Parmesan Pudding under its Italian name: sformato.  It is sometimes described as a savory flan or custard.  In texture however, because it contains flour, it is a bit more substantial than what you might expect from a plain baked custard...making this designation somewhat confusing.  (For a frame of reference, think about the difference between the consistency of a crème anglaise and a pastry cream.  These two have basically the same list of ingredients save one: flour.  The pastry cream contains flour (or cornstarch) and is consequently much more thick and substantial.)   A sformato is also sometimes described as a "less airy" soufflé.  This description makes sense mostly if you think about how a soufflé is constructed:  with a béchamel (white sauce) base, egg yolks and beaten egg whites.  A sformato has the béchamel base...and also includes yolks and whites...but the whites are not whipped—hence a soufflé, but with less air...

With a Salad of Arugula, Sugar Snap Peas, Black Olives & Walnuts.

No matter how you choose to think about it...or what familiar preparation you choose to compare it to...I think you will find it to be delicious.  It is rich, creamy and very savory.  I love it in this plain cheese form, but Goldstein writes that in Italy it is most often made with an addition of a vegetable purée of some kind.  Goin suggests the additions of sliced prosciutto or cooked asparagus or sautéed mushrooms...all of which sound delicious. I can imagine all kinds of possible vegetable additions.

However, I prefer to make it in its plain form...choosing to add other flavor elements as a sauce or garnish.  The medley of mushrooms, peas and spring onions that I am posting is a perfect go-with.  In late summer ratatouille would be good...or a sauté of peppers and prosciutto.  In the fall and winter months a sauté of wild mushrooms (with some white wine...fresh herbs...and maybe some prosciutto) would be just the thing.  And I have to admit that since I love mushrooms combined with winter squash that this would be a great time to make your sformato with the addition of some winter squash purée.  If you want to go with a lighter garnish, sformato is delicious accompanied by some crusty bread and a simple salad (just greens...or greens with a few vegetables and maybe some toasted nuts...and olives...).

With a Salad of Arugula, Roasted Beets, Shaved Asparagus,
Green Olives & Pistachios.

The recipe that I am posting today is Joyce Goldstein's version.  It is for individual-sized puddings...but you can bake the mixture in almost any container you like.  It can be baked in a loaf pan...and then turned out and sliced....or in a shallow gratin, in which case you could turn it out and cut it into wedges, or do as Goin does and simply set the gratin on the table and let everyone help themselves to a big spoonful.  Once you try it, you will definitely want to make it again...and you will, I am certain, come up with lots of delicious ways in which to serve it.   

Parmesan Pudding

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1 c. whole milk

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 T. unsalted butter

2 T. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 oz. finely grated parmesan (about 1 c.)

Salt, pepper & nutmeg, to taste

Butter individual soufflé molds and line with a round of parchment paper.  Butter the parchment paper.  Set aside.

Place the whole eggs and yolks in a medium sized bowl and whisk until smooth; set aside. 

Prepare a béchamel:  In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer; keep hot.  In another saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  When the foam subsides, whisk in the flour.  Cook stirring constantly for a minute or two—the roux will be bubbly and straw yellow.  Remove from the heat and pour in half of the hot milk/cream, whisking constantly until smooth—it will thicken immediately.  Add the remaining milk/cream.  Return to the heat and stir constantly until the sauce returns to a simmer. 

Whisk the hot béchamel in a thin stream into the eggs.  Whisk in the parmesan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  If you like, add a pinch of fresh nutmeg. 

Divide the pudding mixture among the prepared molds and place in a baking pan.  Add hot water to the pan to reach half way up the sides of the molds.  

Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 350° oven until a knife inserted in the center of a pudding comes out clean--about 20 to 30 minutes.  Let the puddings rest for 5 minutes.

The puddings may be served immediately or made up to a day ahead.  If making ahead, cool and refrigerate.  Reheat by placing the puddings in a 350° to 375° oven for 15 minutes or so.  To unmold, run a small knife carefully around the sides of each pudding.  Invert the puddings directly onto a serving plate (make sure that the round of parchment is not attached to the pudding).  Serve surrounded by medley of spring vegetables, or other sauce/vegetable medley/salad of your choice.

Serves 4 to 6—depending on the size soufflé mold chosen

(Parmesan Pudding from Solo Suppers by Joyce Goldstein)

Notes: 

• You may also bake the pudding in one large casserole and either turn it out or serve it from the casserole. If you are not planning on turning it out, it is not necessary to line the mold with parchment. 
• Joyce Goldstein suggests adding 2/3 cup of a vegetable purée of your choice in with the cheese for a vegetable flavored sformato. 

Printable Recipe

Spring Medley of Mushrooms & Peas

4 oz. sugar snap peas, string pulled & halved on the diagonal

1 cup (4 oz.) shelling peas

2 T. unsalted butter

3/4 c. thinly sliced spring onion—1/2 c. white and pale green portions plus 1/4 c. dark green

8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 t. minced fresh thyme

1/4 to 1/2 c. water or chicken stock

a handful (half an ounce) stemmed arugula, cut in wide ribbons

1 to 2 T. unsalted butter

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.  Add the sugar snap peas and cooked until tender-crisp—1 to 2 minutes.  Scoop the peas out and refresh under cold running water or in an ice bath.  Spread on a kitchen towel.  Bring the water back to a boil.  Add the shelling peas and cook until just tender.  Refresh as for the sugar snaps and spread on the towel with them. 

Melt butter in a wide sauté pan set over moderate heat.  Add the spring onions, mushrooms and thyme along with a generous pinch of salt.  Cover and stew gently until the liquid is released from the mushrooms and the mushrooms and spring onions are tender and simmering in a buttery liquid—about 5 to 7 minutes.  Set aside until you are ready to serve.

Return the pan of mushrooms to moderately high heat.  Add a quarter cup of water (you can use the blanching liquid, if you like) or stock.  When the liquid comes to a simmer add the green of the spring onions, the peas and sugar snaps and a tablespoon or so of butter.  Heat through.  If the vegetables seem dry, add a bit more water and butter.  When the vegetables are hot, add the arugula.  Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt & pepper.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4 to 5.

Note: 

• If serving the ragout with a roast chicken or roast pork, add the pan drippings to the ragout. 
• You may use any mix of green spring vegetable you like in place of the peas and sugar snaps. You will need 8 oz. of trimmed/shelled vegetables. Other good options include fava beans, snow peas and asparagus. You may also use artichokes. Slice them so they roughly the same thickness and size as the cooked mushrooms. Add them to the pan with the mushrooms. After everything has been cooking for 5 minutes, add enough liquid to just cover the mushrooms and artichokes and continue to gently simmer until the artichokes are tender—about 20 minutes. 
• Ragout is also nice with the addition of lemon zest and/or a squeeze of lemon juice.

Printable Recipe

Spring Pasta with Sugar Snap Peas, Mushrooms, Pesto, Pine Nuts & Goat Cheese

When I purchased some sugar snap peas (first of the season!) at the market last week, I knew that one of the things I was going to make would be a quick pasta.  I wanted to share the recipe for this particular pasta the first time I made it (one...maybe two...years ago).  But I didn't.  I post so many pasta recipes that I am almost always hesitant to post another.  But the reality is that I love pasta…..and I eat a lot of pasta.... and if I am going to post things that I love to make and serve at my own table, it will often be a recipe for pasta.  Ultimately, I have to assume that if you visit my blog regularly, you like the kinds of things that I like...and that another seasonal recipe for pasta (particularly one that includes some fresh young sugar snap peas) might be just the thing you are hungry for right now.

If you don't yet have sugar snap peas in your region, you can still make a version of this pasta.  I have made it with asparagus...and have also used it as a way to use up odds and ends of spring vegetables

(a little asparagus...a few sugar snaps...a handful of English peas).  I like it best with the sugar snaps...they go particularly well with the tangy goat cheese...but it is very good with asparagus too.   All of these spring vegetables are delicious with mushrooms and pesto.  The pesto itself is a very nice addition, but if you don't have any (and don't want to make it), the addition of a little garlic....some chopped fresh herbs (basil, arugula, parsley and/or mint)...along with a handful of finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino will do just fine.  

Even though I have posted many pasta recipes, I have not posted too many recipes that include sugar snap peas.  As a consequence, I have never posted any kind of commentary on their preparation.  If you have never prepared them there are a couple of things you should know.  The first is that sugar snap peas frequently have tough strings that run the length (or nearly so) of the pod on both sides.  Removing them may seem like a pain...or a detail that only the most persnickety of cooks would attend to... but I assure you it is a necessary step.  When present, the strings can be as tough as dental floss and just as inedible.  You (and your guests...) will end up either picking them out of your mouth or simply pushing the peas aside to eat the other things on the plate rather than deal with them.  It is best to go to the trouble to remove them before you cook them.

To remove the strings, simply pinch off both ends of the pod (the stem and the blossom), pulling down one side—and then the other—as you do so.  Sometimes the strings are so tough that when you bend and snap the first end (I start with the stem end) the strings on both sides will come away as you pull down.  On other occasions, you will find that the strings have not developed at all.  If this is the case—you have hit the sugar snap pea jackpot—and you only need to pinch off the stem.

The "string" on the flat side is typically thicker and stronger
 than the one on the curved side.

This one has thick, tough strings on both sides...
they will both come away with one pull.

The strings....you'll be so glad you removed them...

Sugar Snaps without their strings...ready to eat!

The second thing about sugar snap peas is that they are best eaten when they are just barely cooked....or raw (as a crudité or in a salad).  Part of their charm is their pleasant crunch...and their sweet and ultra fresh pea flavor (just as the name "sugar snap" would imply...)...both of which are preserved by minimal cooking.  When cooked, sugar snap peas go from crunchy to mushy in a flash...so cook them just long enough to soften the crunch....this will only take about a minute when dropped into boiling salted water.  After their quick blanch, the peas are ready to be dressed with butter or olive oil (to be serves as a vegetable side), tossed in a salad....or added to the "sauce" of a fresh, Spring pasta....

Gemelli with Mushrooms, Sugar Snap Peas & Goat Cheese

olive oil

2 or 3 spring onions, thinly sliced (white and some of green)

1/2 T. butter

4 oz. crimini or white button mushrooms, brushed free of dirt and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/3 lb. sugar snap peas, strings removed and sliced on a long diagonal into 2 or 3 pieces each

8 oz. gemelli pasta

2 to 4 T. pesto (basil or arugula)—see note

2 T. toasted pine nuts

2 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Heat some olive oil (about a tablespoon) in a medium sauté pan over moderate heat.  Add the spring onions along with a pinch of salt and cook at a gentle sizzle until just tender (3 minutes or so).  

Increase the heat slightly and the butter to the pan.  When it has melted add the mushrooms along with a pinch of salt.  Cook until any liquid the mushrooms have released has evaporated and the mushrooms are sizzling in the fat and beginning to brown around the edges.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt generously (at least a teaspoon per quart of water).  Add the snap peas and cook for one minute.  Taste one to make sure it is cooked to your liking.  If so, scoop the peas out of the water and add them to the pan with the mushrooms...toss to combine and set aside. 

Add the pasta to the same pot in which the peas were cooked and cook at a rapid boil until al dente.   Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.  Add the pasta to the pan with the vegetables and toss to combine.  Thin a few spoonfuls of pesto with some of the pasta water and add this to the pasta along with the pine nuts and a drizzle of oil.  Toss well.  If the pasta seems dry, add some of the cooking water.  Divide among serving plates, drizzle with more olive oil if desired.  Crumble the goat cheese over and serve immediately.  Serves 2 generously.

Notes:  

• I prefer arugula pesto in the spring, but have made this dish with basil pesto too.  Both are good. If you don't have any pesto on hand, you may leave it out. To replace some of the flavor, add a small clove of minced garlic to the pan and cook briefly when the mushrooms are finished cooking. Then, add a handful of julienne/chiffonade arugula or basil leaves to the pan with the hot pasta. Finally, toss in a few tablespoons of Parmesan or Pecorino just before serving. 
• This recipe is easily doubled...simply use a large sauté pan (large enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer...and ultimately all of the pasta ingredients).
• Substitute asparagus for the some or all of the sugar snaps.  Trim the tough ends from the asparagus and cut into 2-inch lengths on a short diagonal.  You will probably need to blanch the asparagus for a little bit longer...maybe 3 minutes, or so.

Printable Recipe

A meal of gathered ingredients

Earlier this year I posted this picture on Facebook:

My caption read: "On a lazy Saturday in January...lunch of a few of my favorite things (Clementines, Medjool Dates, Almonds & Manchego Cheese). Sometimes you don't need to cook... "

This is so true....you don't always need to cook to eat well. Frankly, sometimes you can't cook...you're too tired...too busy or stressed out...too --- something. But these occasions don't have to be occasions when you eat processed or fast food. The idea that a meal has to be cooked—by you or someone else (or in the case of fast and/or processed food, by an industrial processing facility)—is narrow and limiting. Some of the very best meals—like my January lunch—are simply gathered. Or, as in the case of our dinner last Sunday night, made up of a combination gathered and minimally cooked items.

I should clarify that when I say "gathered", I don't mean foraged. Although a meal of sautéed fiddleheads and morels that I had gathered on a long walk would be delicious, it isn't what I have in mind here. No, the kind of meal I'm talking about is one that features a few quality purchased items—items that, when combined thoughtfully, make a meal. Your gathered items can be any number of things— a delicious pâté, cured sausage or cheese...maybe some olives or some purchased pickled or marinated vegetables...fresh, perfectly ripe fruit or some soft, chewy dried fruits...a few nuts (freshly roasted)...simply prepared fresh vegetables (maybe with a nice purchased or leftover sauce...pesto...aioli...salsa verde...)...a small handful of baby lettuces, dressed with a drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon...a nice crusty loaf of bread or some tasty crackers... You get the idea. Whatever you serve, just make sure that it is something you love and is of a quality that pleases you.

I don't think any complicated recipe I might have prepared would have been any better than the meal we had this past Sunday evening. It was simplicity at its best. A delicious, oozy goat Robiola, a nice crusty loaf of raisin walnut bread,

and market fresh, early summer vegetables...simply prepared.

The beets were roasted and dressed with sherry vinegar and olive oil. The snap peas were blanched and tossed with olive oil and fleur de sel. The new potatoes (freshly dug...the first of the season) were poached in a small amount of water and olive oil and were finished with more olive oil and chives from my garden. A perfect meal.

The only thing that would have made our dinner better would have been a nice dry Rosé...but I didn't happen to have any in the house...and my "gathering" for this particular meal didn't extend to exerting myself to make a run to the store.

Salad of Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas & Arugula

More than any other time of the year, Spring is when dinner practically makes itself. The young and tender foods available in the stores and at the market require very little from the cook....the greatest pitfall is to do too much and mask their subtle charm. Today's post is in the spirit of this ideal...a beautiful little salad that almost doesn't even need a recipe...just a few techniques. We had it for dinner on a busy night this past week: baby potatoes, sugar snap peas and young arugula. It could hardly have been easier (or tastier).

For the potatoes I used Melissa's brand Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes. Local true new potatoes are still more than a month away, but in the mean time, these are a reliably good little waxy potato that work very well in a salad. To prepare them I simply steamed them whole. If you prefer, you could cook them by boiling them, but steaming seems to do a better job of cooking them through without encouraging them to fall apart.

As soon as the potatoes were cool enough to handle (almost immediately) I halved them and tossed them with some salt and vinegar. Adding plain vinegar (without any oil) to the warm potatoes is a little trick that will make any potato salad you make more flavorful—whether ultimately dressed with a classic vinaigrette or a mayonnaise-based dressing. The warm potatoes readily absorb the vinegar, seasoning them throughout.

Warm potatoes with vinegar and salt

After the potatoes have had a chance to absorb the vinegar, the olive oil is added (along with the herbs)--adding the oil sooner would inhibit the absorption of the vinegar. At this point, this would make a simple and satisfying potato side dish.

This salad could be made with any number of the green vegetable in season during the Spring and early Summer months, but I chose to use sugar snaps because I happened to have some on hand. Sugar snap peas can be used in a salad raw, but it's nice to soften their crunch just a bit with a quick blanch—just until the water returns to the boil should be sufficient. If I were using asparagus or green beans, I would cook either of these a bit longer.

I finished the salad by tossing the vegetables with fresh herbs and serving them on a bed of arugula dressed with a tangy Dijon vinaigrette. This time of year, the herbs are soft and delicate—it's hard to use too many. I used just chives, but parsley, mint or tarragon (alone or in combination) would have been nice. If you happen to have a chive blossom or two, breaking them up and scattering the little individual lavender flowers over the salad would make a beautiful and zippy addition. The arugula I used was what I purchased at last week's market...and it was delicious (arugula is my favorite salad green), but this week I purchased a bag of mixed baby lettuces and they would have been equally good.

Accompanied by a simply prepared piece of chicken or fish, this salad makes a wonderful, light Spring entrée. Without the meat or fish, it would be a fine first course. When we had it, I served it for our dinner with some pan-seared steelhead salmon. The salmon, with its peachy-pink flesh, was particularly lovely against the beautiful greens of the Spring vegetables.

Potatoes & Snap Peas with Arugula

1 1/2 lbs. small waxy potatoes (Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold, Fingerling or Creamer-type)
2 T. red wine vinegar, divided
1 small to medium shallot, finely diced
1 t. Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 to 1 lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed & halved on the diagonal
3 oz. Arugula, rinsed, dried & stemmed if necessary (weighed after removing the stems)
2 T. (or more) minced fresh chives (or parsley...or tarragon...or mint...or a combination)

Ingredients for salad for two

Scrub the potatoes. Steam over simmering water until tender to the tip of a knife—20 minutes or so, depending on their age and size. (If you prefer, you may instead cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain well.) As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle halve or quarter them (depending on their size). If using fingerling, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place the potatoes in a bowl and pour 1 T. of vinegar over them along with salt & pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes or so to allow the warm potatoes to absorb the vinegar. Toss in the herbs and add 1/4 cup of olive oil and fold gently. Set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, combine 1 T. of vinegar and the shallot in a small bowl; let sit for a few minutes to allow the vinegar to soften the shallots. Whisk in the mustard. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of oil, adding it in a thin stream. Taste and correct the seasoning and the vinegar balance—the vinaigrette should be fairly sharp.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the snap peas and allow the water to return to the boil—about a minute. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Pat dry and set aside. (If cooked ahead, refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

To serve the salad, place the arugula in a medium-sized bowl. Season with salt & pepper and drizzle with a small amount of the vinaigrette. Toss carefully to coat. Mound the dressed arugula onto a serving platter (or divide among individual plates). Add the snap peas to the potatoes and toss. Add a bit of dressing if necessary. Taste and correct the seasoning. Mound the potatoes and snap peas on top of the arugula and scatter more herbs over all if you like (chive blossoms would be especially nice).

Serves 4 to 6 as an accompaniment to fish or chicken for an entrée. Serves 8 (or more) as part of a salad buffet.

Variation: Either asparagus or green beans (cut into two inch lengths on the diagonal and blanched in boiling salted water until tender) would make a fine substitute for the snap peas.