Pea And Lettuce Pure With Tarragon Recipes

LETTUCES, SPROUTS AND SNOW PEAS WITH RADISH WATER

Steps:

• Place shallots in a small bowl, add ginger juice, rice wine vinegar, mirin and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Turn to coat, and adjust brine to taste. Reserve in refrigerator.
• Cut tomatoes into eight pieces, place in a blender and liquefy. Strain into a small bowl through a fine mesh sieve or a heavy-duty paper towel. You should have about 1/2 cup tomato water. Rinse and dry blender jar.
• Place ice cubes from two trays in a roasting pan and fill it halfway with water. In a sauté pan, heat grapeseed oil. Add scallion tops and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, one minute. Transfer to a small bowl and place in the ice bath.
• Bring 2 cups water to boil with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook snow peas about one minute. With a slotted spoon, transfer snow peas directly to ice bath to stop cooking. Return water to boil and add green peas. Cook one minute, add tarragon, stir once, and strain, reserving 2 ounces cooking liquid. Place green peas, tarragon and reserved liquid in blender and process until smooth. Press through fine sieve into a small bowl and chill over ice bath. You should have 1/2 cup tarragon-green pea purée. Rinse and dry blender, add scallions and oil, and pulse to a chunky purée. Reserve.
• Remove snow peas from ice bath. Remove their strings and cut peas into thin strips. Place lettuces in a salad bowl, add sliced snow peas, sprouts and basil. Toss.
• For the dressing: Grate daikon into a separate bowl. Add 1/4 cup tomato water, 2 tablespoons scallion oil, 3 tablespoons pea-tarragon purée, 2 tablespoons shallot pickling brine and the extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Dress salad to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Divide salad evenly among six plates, garnish with shallot pickles and myoga slices, and serve immediately.

BRAISED LETTUCE WITH PEAS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with a lid. Fry the onion gently for about 5 mins, until softened. Meanwhile, pull any damaged or coarse outer leaves from the lettuces and trim the bases. Cut the lettuces in half lengthways, through the base.
• Place the lettuce cut-side up on top of the onions and cook for half a minute, then turn over and cook for another 30 secs. Pour over the stock and lightly season. Put the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to the minimum and cook for 10 mins.
• With a slotted spoon, lift the lettuces out and put into a sieve over a bowl. Raise the heat under the pan and boil the juices until reduced by half. Add the cream or crème fraîche and petits pois and boil for 1 min until heated through. Arrange lettuces in a serving dish and pour over the pea-and-cream sauce.

BUTTERED PEAS AND LETTUCE WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Combine the broth, shallot, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a 12-inch skillet. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to low, add the peas and tarragon, then top with the lettuce. Cover and simmer, stirring twice, until the peas and lettuce are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

GREEN PEA SOUP WITH TARRAGON AND PEA SPROUTS

Steps:

• Place 1 cup peas in microwave-safe bowl; set aside. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until golden and almost tender, about 7 minutes. Add remaining peas, 4 cups broth, and 2 tablespoons tarragon; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil until flavors blend and peas are tender, about 7 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until completely smooth. Return soup to same saucepan. Bring to simmer and thin with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if desired. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon tarragon. Season with pepper.
• Cook reserved 1 cup peas in microwave until warm, about 1 minute.
• Ladle soup into 6 bowls. Drizzle lightly with yogurt. Sprinkle whole peas over and garnish with pea sprouts.
• *Available at natural foods stores and Asian markets.

CHILLED PEA, LETTUCE AND HERB SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the peas, lettuce and stock or water, and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer five minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain through a strainer set over a bowl, and allow the vegetables and the broth to cool for 15 minutes. Taste the broth, and season as desired.
• Working in batches, purée the vegetables and herbs in a blender with the broth and additional olive oil for two minutes until frothy and smooth. Pour into a bowl, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Chill for several hours.
• Serve, garnishing with additional chives, tarragon and/or mint.

SEVEN-LAYER SALAD

Steps:

• Place lettuce in a large bowl. Layer peas, bell pepper, tomatoes, celery and scallions on top.
• Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar to taste, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread the dressing evenly over the top of the salad (an offset spatula is handy for this, if you have one). Sprinkle with cheese, basil and bacon. Serve room temperature or chilled.

PEAS WITH SHALLOTS & LETTUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large frying pan, then cook the shallots for 10 mins until softened and turning golden. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then throw in the peas and cook for 2 mins more until tender. Add the shredded lettuce, season, then allow the heat of the pan to wilt the lettuce. Serve immediately.

TARRAGON AND SWEET PEA PUREE

Steps:

• Put the peas into a saucepan and cover with water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, remove from heat and drain. Put the peas into a blender, add the tarragon, salt, pepper and cream and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Serve immediately.

PEA AND LETTUCE PURéE WITH TARRAGON

Steps:

• Cook scallions in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add lettuce and water and simmer, covered, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas and cook, uncovered, stirring, until just heated through, about 3 minutes.
• Coarsely purée in a food processor, then transfer to cleaned pan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until heated through, then stir in salt, lemon juice, and tarragon.