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She’s bloomin’

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April 23, 2015
We've got the recipe for this bright, delicious crushed spring pea and mint dip. (Photo credit: David Loftus Illustrations: Sun Young Park)

It’s hard to imagine April Bloomfield cooking without meat.

Exhibit A: Her perpetually packed restaurant, The Spotted Pig, heaves with bacon wrapped dates and crispy pig’s ear salad, not to mention a world-famous burger.

Exhibit B: Her first cookbook, A Girl and Her Pig, whose cover featured a pig draped just-so over her shoulders.

But April’s new cookbook, A Girl and Her Greens: Hearty Meals from the Garden ($35) offers a chance to get to know her in a whole new way.

The book serves up over 80 inspired, seasonal recipes from this internationally acclaimed chef who won the 2014 James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: New York City. It’s also a wonderful reminder that she worked under ingredient-driven cooking pioneer and noted vegetable stickler Alice Waters at Chez Panisse.

The book is decidedly vegetable-centric, but it’s not wholly vegetarian. April declares, “I’m not saying vegetables should aspire to be like meat. I’m just saying that meat eaters will appreciate these qualities, and that vegetables can satisfy you the way meat does.”

The book is flush with personality, charming illustrations and April-isms like “inner fuss-bucket,” recipe titles like “If-It-Ain’t Broke Eggplant Caponata” and directions that instruct you to “smoosh” ingredients. Flipping through the book gives you the feeling that you are cooking alongside a friend (albeit one who’s an award-winning chef).

April reminds us that, “I like the limits that the seasons impose. I like having something to look forward to. I don’t even mind when nature disappoints me with a bad year for corn or tomatoes. You develop an almanac in your head—like, “Oh, peas were so bad that year.” When great ones return, you get to think, ‘Finally, lovely peas!’ Vegetables make you happy when they’re there, and miss them when they’re gone.”

With those peas rolling into a farmers market near you in mind, we snagged April’s recipe for crushed spring peas with mint. It’s lovely as a dip for raw veg, like radishes, carrots and wedges of fennel.

Crushed Spring Peas with Mint

SERVES

2

PREP TIME

10 min

COOK TIME

10 min

Ingredients

2 cups fresh peas (from about 2 pounds pods)

1 ounce aged Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated


1 1/2 teaspoons Maldon or another flaky sea salt

1 small spring garlic clove or 1/2 small garlic clove, smashed, peeled and roughly chopped

12 medium mint leaves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Scant 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more for finishing

Directions

Combine the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to a coarse puree, about 45 seconds.

Scrape the mixture into a bowl and roughly stir and smoosh a bit so it’s a little creamy, and a little chunky.

Season to taste with more salt and lemon juice—you want it to taste sweet and bright but not acidic.

Serve with fresh cut veggies, smeared on toast, or as a sandwich spread.

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