Smashed peas on toast. Photo: Kathleen Korb
If you’ve had your fill of avocado toast, smashed peas with fresh cheese is the next best thing, or dare we say, even better!
And yes, you could use fava beans in place of peas here as well.
PrintSmashed Peas on Toast
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Peas thrive In Northern California’s cool coastal climate and the season lasts from early spring through late summer. With this simple recipe, fresh peas are blanched and smashed into a savory and minty mix and smeared over olive-oil-brushed toast.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: California
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups shelled peas (from 3 pounds of peas in the pod)
- 1 small clove garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Baguette or other hearty bread
- 8 ounces fromage blanc (or spreadable goat cheese)
- 3 ounces shaved Pecorino
- 1⁄2 cup pea or radish sprouts
- Red chili flakes (we use Aleppo)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Make an ice bath in a large bowl to shock the peas. Blanch the shelled peas and garlic clove for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove the beans from the pot and plunge them into the ice bath. Once the peas have cooled, drain in a colander.
- In a food processor, combine 11⁄2 cups of the blanched peas (reserve 1⁄2 cup), 4 tablespoons olive oil, garlic and mint and pulse until almost puréed, but still with a bit of texture. Fold in the reserved 1⁄2 cup of whole peas. Season with salt, pepper, lemon zest and chili flakes to taste.
- Slice the bread into 1⁄2-inch slices, and brush with olive oil. Broil bread until well toasted on both sides, approximately 2 minutes.
- Spread the cheese on the toasted bread (let cool first) , top with the pea mixture, shaved pecorino and sprouts. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of chili flakes.
