Petite Salad with Snap Peas, Honey Mustard Dressing & Horseradish Shavings

Spring peas have just arrived in our local markets, and one of the most versatile is the snap pea. They can be rinsed and eaten raw, chopped and put in salads and noodle dishes, or blanched. Blanching boosts the color and flavor, and if you haven't tried this method before, you might be in for a delicious surprise.

Here is a recipe for a small salad for one person. The fresh horseradish shavings add balance to the sweet dressing, but may not be for everyone. You can also think of it as a healthier version of parmesan cheese. Or just omit it.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 4 Persimmons

Ingredients:

For the Snap Peas:

8 oz. fresh snap peas, ends cut off, and strings removed if still present (most stores remove them)
6 cups water
1/2 cup fine sea salt
Bowl of ice water

For the Dressing:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, preferably Edmond Fallot brand
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Garnishes: Fresh horseradish shavings, Lemon wedges

Directions:

For the Snap Peas:

1. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the snap peas, and turn down the heat to medium. Gently boil the peas for about 1 minute - no more than 1 1/2 minutes - just until the color turns brighter green but the peas are still full of crunch. Remove the peas with a slotted spoon and put immediately in the bowl of ice water. Remove with a slotted spoon when cool and pat dry on a cloth or paper towel.

For the Dressing:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt. Taste for seasonings.

To serve:

1. Put the snap peas in the bowl, and toss to coat the peas.

2. Place the peas on a serving plate or bowl. Using a microplane, add the horseradish shavings. Serve with lemon wedges.

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Recipe adapted from "Rich Table: A Cookbook for Making Beautiful Meals at Home," link here.

My Paleo Marin Rating 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.