Spring Pea & Edamame Spread –The Greens of Spring

Green.  My favourite colour because I know how healthy it is to nourish our bodies with greens, but I especially love the aesthetic beauty of spring greens outside my window and in my community.  I’ve been driving down our country roads completely in awe of the smattering of fresh greens bursting from the trees and grasses, contrasting with the deep evergreens.  I can hardly contain the urge to photograph it like Monet painted, at all times of the day, to capture the ever changing light on the greens.  If only time would stand still so I could fit all these fleeting, fun ideas into my busy life!  I managed a morning a couple weeks ago while walking with my daughter and I captured some “to die for greens” to share with you today below this yummy recipe that will surely become a favourite!

I had hoped to say Hello this week while cruising Alaska but cell signal came at quite a premium so I here I am, a little tardy.  The cruise was utterly amazing– I’ll tease  you with a snap shot until I have time to pour over and edit the many, many shots I took that I will share with you later.  If you’ve never been you’d probably enjoy it. We saw everything from whales, to bears, glaciers and icebergs!  and we were treated like royalty!  The mountains that towered over us most of the trip were stunning, particularly the scenic ranges we wound thru as we climbed by train far above Skagway following the journey that many hopeful gold miners before us braved with paks and mules–below you can see the stunning landscape and the spring greens.

We enjoyed some delicious meals on board, many of which they prepared with my vegan requests in mind–tasty salads, roasted veggies, Indian cuisine and more!  But as nice as it is to be pampered, there’s nothing like delicious healthy food prepared in my own kitchen.  This spring pea and edamame dip I could eat every day! Packed with flavour and a good dose of protein, you can enjoy this as a snack, hors d’oeuvre, or lunch.   I’ve spread it in wraps, nibbled it with crudites and scooped it into cucumbers as you’ll see below.  The kids loved it like this!  You could even get fancy for them and make little faces with diced peppers and carrot gratings for hair–they’d get a kick out of this!–anything to get them excited about veggies!!

Spring Pea & Edamame Spread
Yield: aprox 3 cups
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 1/2 cups frozen edamame beans, shelled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + a bit
1/2 tsp course salt
3 stems fresh mint
juice of one lime
zest of one lime
Method
Place edamame beans into boiling water for 3-4 mins, until bright green but still firm.  Using slotted spoon remove beans keeping water for peas.  Run beans under cold water.  Add frozen peas to boiling water and cook for 1 minute.  Pour into colander and run cold water over.  Place beans, peas and remaining ingredients in bowl of food processor.  Combine until thoroughly mixed, but with some texture, not completely pureed.  Check for seasoning and then scoop into serving bowl.  Garnish with fresh mint and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

For these bright and crunchee hors d’oeuvre I scooped out the cucumber a wee bit to make a small space for the dip to rest.  Top with a pinch of sea salt and a mint leaf and voila, you have a tasty healthy alkaline treat.

Since this is such a simple recipe you’ll have lots of time for a walk in a park to take notice of the lovely show that mother nature is putting on for us.  Here’s a glimpse of what you might just get to see if you do!

These are shots of flowering dogwood trees that are the flower of British Columbia, the province I live in, here in Canada.

As a spring baby, an Aries, I love this time of year the most.  But as mother nature has delivered us cooler than normal temperatures this year I’m very much looking forward to summer which is only about week away.  Already our days are nice and long, bright and fresh.  I don’t want to wish away these gorgeous young spring greens but at the same time I long for the rich glossy summer greens and the warmth of the sun on my face and of course all the summer market green veggies that I can work into salads, grilled this and grilled that.  What’s your favourite season?  Have you had a lovely spring in your part of the world or are you anxious for summer to arrive?

Don’t you just love how gorgeous these greens are?  I just can’t get enough of it, how can you tell!

I hope you have a lovely Sunday and that the sun shines down on you like it is on me right now, feels sooo nice!  Enjoy this spread if you have 10 mins to whip it up– it will keep you happy for a few days as it lasts well in the fridge so you can scoop when you need a snack!

Until next week….enjoy the spring greens that surround you:)