Peas with Burrata and Breadcrumbs
Peas with Burrata and Breadcrumbs
We come from a family of pretty serious gardeners. We grew up watching corn, cherry tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and cucumbers sprout up on the hill in our backyard. And while the planning and maintenance of the garden was never really our responsibility, fighting over who got to pick the ripe veggies was a common argument, typically resulting in the plucking of some orange tomatoes and not-yet-ripe baby cucumbers.
In grandma's garden, everyone's favorite treat was the snap pea. On the vines that climbed up a fence that she jerry-rigged together, hidden behind small white flowers were the most delicious snap peas you could find. Picking and shelling the peas was like a special reward for helping with some other garden task.
Most of the peas were eaten straight off the vine, so very few were left to actually cook with. The few that made it into the house were used to make a side dish that might involve olive oil, garlic, maybe some pork sausage, and parmesan cheese. Regardless of the what they were combined with, the peas were always the tastiest part of the dish.
The same is true for this side - its pretty simple, and the peas are the star. While we LOVE burrata (and let's be honest, its a cheese that deserves a post or two of its own) its the fresh peas that really make this springtime side.
| Hillary
Peas with Burrata and Breadcrumbs
Yield - serves 2-4 as a side dish
1 cup fresh peas (frozen works too if out of season)
juice of 1/2 lemon
4-5 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 ball of burrata*
olive oil
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
extra virgin olive oil
red pepper flakes, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
*If you're able to find fresh or homemade burrata at your grocery store, that's ideal. I used Adam's and it was delish!
Steam the peas until just tender. Remove the peas from heat, and drain. In a small bowl, combine peas with the lemon juice, chopped mint, and olive oil (to taste, about 1/2 tbsp). Add a sprinkle of kosher salt & black pepper, and adjust the seasoning as needed*. Mix to combine.
In a small pan coated with olive oil, toast breadcrumbs for 2-3 minutes or until brown. Add red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.
On your serving dish, place the pea mixture first, followed by the burrata. Top with breadcrumbs.
*this recipe can be adjusted easily based on your preference. if you love lemon, add in additional juice or zest; if you're a mint fanatic, you can make those peas as minty as you'd like. And if you need a bit more heat, load those red pepper flakes on top.
