Monday, June 8, 2009

Peas with Prosciutto and Mint: Uncomplicated, Unassailable

Sometimes, simple is best.

Short sentences. Black coffee. Blue jeans. T-shirts. Unadorned strawberries. Naps. Hand-written letters. Flip-flops. Daisies. Carole King. Garrison Keillor. Ina Garten. Baseball. Picnics. Peaches. Balloons. Fluffy pillows. Favorite blankets. Records. Sesame Street. Shel Silverstein. Charles M. Schulz. Walking. Grilling. Floating. Aspirin. Good socks. Good chairs. Good friends. Bowling. Regina Spektor. Crossword puzzles. Limericks. Haiku. Ogden Nash. Like Merchant Ships. The Wizard of Oz. Fishing. Planting. Climbing. Otis Redding. Wood floors. First-floor walkups. First apartments. Natural light. Beagles. Pizza. Beer. Cards. Owning one purse. Owning one pair of sunglasses. Owning three great bras. Fireworks. Sparklers. Cardboard Boxes. BUBBLE WRAP. Long drives. Uninterrupted countryside. Trees. Light breezes. Long days. Drawing. Finger painting. Ponytails. Olives. Swingsets. Slides. See-saws. Sand. Outdoor concerts. Motown. Ska. Rockabilly. Candles. Holding hands. Gardens. Thank you notes. Bananas. Wood frames. Radio.

Peas with Prosciutto and Mint from The Kitchn.

The better your ingredients, the better this dish will be. But I gotta say, I used frozen generic peas, mid-range prosciutto, and mint from my backyard, and it was really good nonetheless. The Husband-Elect and I ate it with an arugula salad and some grilled chicken, and basically, it was summer on a plate. It might even make you crave peas, which I’m pretty sure has never happened to any human.

So get out there and make some. Also, sweat some small stuff. It’s a good thing.

Peas with Prosciutto and Mint
Makes 4 side servings
Adapted from The Kitchn.

2 cups fresh or defrosted frozen shelled peas
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
6 mint leaves, sliced very thin (chiffonade)
1 ounce (about 2 thin slices) prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces

1) Fill a medium bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes.

2) Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt. Add peas. Cook only a coupla seconds, until peas are defrosted/warmed. Drain. Pour peas in the ice bath so they stop cooking. Drain.

2) In a medium serving bowl (or you can wipe and re-use the ice bowl), add olive oil, pepper, and salt. Whisk it together. Add peas. Stir. Add mint. Stir. Add prosciutto. Gently stir. Serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
104 calories, 4.4 g fat, $0.39

Calculations
2 cups fresh or defrosted frozen shelled peas: 250 calories, 1 g fat, $0.72
1 tablespoons olive oil: 118 calories, 13.4 g fat, $0.12
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt: negligible calories and fat, $0.01
6 mint leaves, sliced very thin (chiffonade): negligible calories and fat, FREE
1 ounce (about 2 thin slices) prosciutto: 50 calories, 3 g fat, $0.72
TOTAL: 418 calories, 17.4 g fat, $1.58
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 104 calories, 4.4 g fat, $0.39

 
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