Makes about 1 cup. Growing up, I remember our South Mississippi gardens typically contained the usual fresh field and/or black-eyed peas, but the only small green peas I remember came from cans. They were not very tasty. However, listening to my nanny Ida’s tale of how much her dad loved fresh green peas from his North Mississippi garden, I was inspired to try them again. And wow! The difference in texture between canned peas and fresh ones may be eclipsed only by how much sweeter fresh ones taste. In this recipe I use frozen peas, which have a fresh taste and are accessible all year long. The creaminess of these little beauties lends itself perfectly to a pesto. I use it as the bottom layer for my Individual Southern Layered Salads (page 90), but it also makes an excellent replacement for mayonnaise on sandwiches. Once you taste it, I’m sure you’ll think of other great uses for this versatile condiment.
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
2 teaspoons fresh chopped dill
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Place the peas, basil, dill, salt, and oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Makes about 1 cup.