This Isn’t Your Average Peas and Carrots Dish

This is the season for fresh, sweet spring peas.

This is the stuff of meatless-main dreams. JeanMarie Brownson/TCA

Chances are, your guests, your children, and your best friends say they dislike peas. Especially peas and carrots. Baby carrots bore us all. Challenge accepted.

First off, at this time of the year, ditch the frozen variety. This is the season for fresh, sweet spring peas; markets and some stores sell them already shucked for ease of use. The flavor and texture of a fresh pea versus the ubiquitous frozen will astound most eaters. Fresh peas are so sweet, they barely need cooking—a couple of minutes in salted boiling water will do.

For the carrots, seek out skinny carrots in a variety of colors at places such as farmers markets, Trader Joe’s, and specialty produce stores. If they are small enough, the carrots can be roasted whole. Larger, multi-colored carrots work, too, you’ll just need to cut them into sections to cook evenly.

A recent evening at Ed Kenney’s fabulous Mud Hen Water restaurant in Honolulu inspired the following recipe. Their rendition of locally grown roasted carrots over smoked yogurt truly shakes up a regularly undervalued vegetable. The restaurant piles shavings of raw carrots over the cooked carrots as a garnish. Great idea, as it adds a textural contrast and spring freshness.

Mud Hen Water also topped the roasted carrots with tufts of fresh verdolagas, also known as purslane. Look for this green at the farmers market or Mexican grocery stores. It has a wonderful crunch and tart, lemony flavor; use it raw when it’s tiny and super fresh. At home, fresh shelled peas deliver crunch and sweetness.

Serving the combination over protein-rich yogurt turns this into a meatless main. Smoked yogurt makes an exceptional dish. You could do this in a smoker, but a high-quality, preservative-free liquid smoke, such as Wrights, proves much easier. Alternatively, smoked paprika works adding a subtle pink hue to the yogurt. When it’s available, try labneh (strained Greek yogurt) for its tangy, luxuriously thick consistency.

The recipe might seem like a lot of work, but trust me, this is the stuff of meatless mains dreams. Feel free to work in advance: The carrots can be roasted a day ahead, the orange vinaigrette and the smoked yogurt can be made a day or two in advance.

Peas and carrots, who knew?

Roasted Carrots With Peas and Smoked Yogurt

Serves 6 servings

Note: You can use large carrots in assorted colors here. Trim and peel, then cut lengthwise in half, then lengthwise into quarters. Cut crosswise in half.

• 2 pounds peeled petite carrots, in assorted colors
• 1/4 cup fruity olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon each, dried: basil, marjoram, rosemary
• Salt, fresh ground black pepper
• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt or labneh
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke or 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups (about 10 ounces) shelled fresh peas
• Orange vinaigrette, see recipe
• 1/2 cup fresh purslane sprigs, microgreens or baby arugula
• Crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional
• Roughly chopped roasted and salted pistachio or macadamia nuts, optional

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. If desired, make a garnish by using a vegetable peeler to remove three large strips from each color of carrot. Wrap the strips in a damp paper towel and refrigerate until needed.

2. Put carrots onto a large, rimmed baking sheet. Mix oil, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Add the oil mixture to the carrots and stir to coat everything well. Roast, turning once or twice, until fork-tender, about 40 minutes. (Carrots can be roasted 1 day in advance; reheat in a low oven until warm.)

3. Meanwhile, mix yogurt, onion, garlic, liquid smoke, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Let stand at room temperature while carrots cook. (Mixture can be refrigerated covered up to two days. Use at room temperature.)

4. Heat a small pot of salted water to boil. Add peas and cook, uncovered, until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well. Place in a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Season with salt. Keep warm.

5. To serve, smear yogurt over a large serving platter. Top with roasted carrots and their pan juices. Top with peas. Add reserved raw carrot strip garnish. Top with purslane or its substitute. Drizzle everything with a spoonful of the orange vinaigrette. Sprinkle with feta and nuts if desired. Serve while carrots are warm.

Orange Vinaigrette

Makes 1/2 cup

• 1 small orange
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or alternative
• 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground black pepper

1. Use a grater to remove the orange zest from the orange; you should have a generous teaspoon. Put zest into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Cut orange in half and squeeze 1 or 2 tablespoons of the juice into the jar.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Shake well. Refrigerate covered up to a couple of days. Use at room temperature.

This is the stuff of meatless mains dreams. JeanMarie Brownson/TCA

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