snacks for sanity … Parmesan Pea Dip

I’m drowning in stuff. Various recipe development projects have left me with bags, tins, jars and cans of ingredients that no matter how much I try to organize, end up in big piles every which way all over the place. I always seem to be looking for the one thing that isn’t where I think it is and create a disaster to be dealt with at a later date. My freezer isn’t much better with bits of this and that crammed into every available space. I seem to have stockpiled a lot of bacon in there. Is that a bad thing? A houseguest recently gave me a lot of s*%$ about this as she was trying to find space for a pint of ice cream. (It was tight, but we got it in there.) Then last week a bag of frozen peas catapulted itself at my head in an attempt to escape. Alright, message received. This food clutter needed to be dealt with, one item at a time. So I started with those peas. Baby steps.

Is there a more invisible ingredient that the humble frozen pea? Often an afterthought thrown into a dish to add a touch of color, rarely do they take center stage. Sure there are a few dishes that celebrate the pea, mostly in the spring, but often they are relegated to some boring vegetable medley. This is too bad because a frozen pea can be a nice thing to have around for its sheer versatility. Or maybe you’re like a friend of mine who only keeps a bag of frozen peas around for weekend hangovers – it makes a great reusable ice pack. But this time, I was going to make my escapee peas the star.

I mentally scrolled through my short list of hero pea ideas. Soup? No, though that’s a good one. Pasta with pancetta and peas? Maybe some other time. My mind wandered to a lovely crostini I’d had recently – toasted bread topped with a thick schmear of garlicky pea spread and gilded with a silky slice of prosciutto. It was stunningly good. With friends coming over for dinner, I headed in this direction.

This recipe follows the same technique and flavor inspiration as a pesto but is a lot cheaper. Pesto is, and should be, a late summer dish. It is not late summer. It is spring, that bipolar season of beautiful sunny days with mostly grey rainy miserable periods in between. So rather than endless bunches of what would be not quite in season basil, a 99 cent bag of defrosted peas is tossed into the food processor with the classic pesto flavors – pine nuts, parmesan and just a bit of basil for flavor. Hit that button and puree until mostly smooth. You can certainly spread it on toasted bread or better yet, serve it as a dip like I did. Set a bowl of this with a big pile of crackers and sit back and watch it go. And if you pair it with a big pile of the crispy prosciutto I posted last week, everyone will swoon.

STRESS BAKING THERAPY FACTOR: SNACKS FOR SANITY. This is delicious. Since I first served it, I’ve had no less then four requests for the recipe. It is a sure fire party hit, is terribly pretty and is ridiculously easy. For me, the best part is that there’s one less thing taking up space in my freezer. This has a positive effect on my sanity and makes me immensely happy though I’m sure I’ll quickly find something else to fill that space. Probably bacon.

Five years ago: Strawberries & Chino Farms
Four years ago: Almond Tea Cake, Cooking for Frank Lloyd Wright
Three years ago: Smoky Bacon Ginger Cookies
Two years ago: Coconut Layer Cake, Banana Fudge Layer Cake
Last year: Guinness Crème Anglaise

PARMESAN PEA DIP adapted from this recipe
Makes about 1 ¾ cups

1 ½ cups frozen peas (defrosted)
1 ½ Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. In a food processor, pulse together the peas, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, basil, salt and pepper until well combined.
2. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. I prefer it a little chunky but process longer if you prefer a smooth dip.
3. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
4. Serve with crackers or toasted bread and it’s really good topped with crispy proscuitto if you are so inclined. The dip keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.