Since I am still deliriously happy that our Sugar Snap Peas appear to have survived whatever garden invader attempted to devour them, I thought now would be a good time to feature them in a Spring Slaw.  This isn’t your everyday, run of the mill slaw recipe though.  A little more color, a little more texture, and a little better looking I think.  But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so that determination will be up to you.  This slaw features those items first on the scene come springtime – Sugar Snap Peas, Radishes, Asparagus, and Green Onion.  It’s a pretty free form recipe, and just lets you follow your own instincts about how much of what to put into it, but for starters we’ll use equal amounts of everything except the Green Onion.  And now, allow me to introduce you to our cast of characters:

Let’s get to the preparation part of the equation. We’ll start with Sugar Snap Peas, trimmed and cut on the bias.  This way, you can see the pretty pea parts inside:

Next, bright red radishes.  Into the food processor they go, shredded so each little piece shows both red and white:

Here’s another little trick: Grated radish can give up a lot of moisture, so before adding to your slaw mix, take the grated radish by the handful and squeeze out the liquid.  You will be amazed at how much water is in those little guys!

Next in line is asparagus.  We’re doing something a little different here, and keeping it raw – believe me, it’s delicious.  You may have noticed a pattern here.  I love to cut food on the bias.  I think it just looks better, and to me more surface area translates into more flavor.  Use the stalks and save the tips for a stir fry or something nice for supper.

Time for some Green Onion.  Here’s a little trick for keeping them fresh in the refrigerator.  Just trim them up and store them root side down in water in a quart jar.  In this case, I used a gallon jar because I was cooking for a hoard of people, but you get the idea.

And now here are all of our ingredients, all prepared are ready to be slawed:

Into a large bowl they go:

And now for a super easy dressing:  Equal parts full-fat mayonnaise, low fat sour cream, and lemon juice to taste.  And there you go:

Dressing goes on to the sliced vegetables.

Mix very gently please.

All that’s left is to chow down!

I love this Slaw on it’s own, but when horsing around with it, also like to put a big bunch of it on top of a bed of greens and top with blueberries. Add some of your favorite dressing, of course.

SUGAR SNAP PEA, ASPARAGUS & RADISH SLAW

Roberta Reynolds

We’ve all seen radishes sliced into salads, but this versatile root vegetable can wear several hats. In this slaw, grated radish is tossed with spring’s first sugar snap peas and raw slivered asparagus, then finished with a creamy dressing. This works as a side for sandwiches and seafood dishes – try slipping some into tacos for a refreshing crunch.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

• SLAW
• 2 cups grated radish squeeze dry in your hands before adding to the mix
• 2 cups sugar snap peas sliced on the bias
• 2 cups thinly sliced asparagus stems save the tops for another use
• 2 cups frozen peas thawed and rinsed
• ½ cup green onion thinly sliced on the bias
• CREAMY DRESSING
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

 

• For the slaw: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
• For the dressing: Mix ingredients together and check for balance of seasoning. Add more lemon or salt if it suits your taste.
• To serve:Toss dressing lightly with slaw ingredients and serve immediately. Start with just half the dressing and adjust the amount to your personal taste.

Notes

Soggy slaw isn’t much fun. To make sure your slaw is nice and crunchy, mix right before serving. If you take this on a picnic or to a potluck, pack dressing separately (remember to keep everything nice and cold) and mix it up right before you’re ready to eat.

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