I love the longer days and warming temperatures of Spring as much as anyone, but what I anticipate fervently are the sugar snap peas. Most peas I can take or leave, my grandmother loved canned Le Sueur sweet peas (which, no thank you), but honestly, I only have eyes for sugar snaps. 

The pod and the peas are edible, and the combination of the crispy crunch and sweetness makes Spring come alive. Grocery store sugar snaps are delicious, but home-grown sugar snaps are transcendent. My sugar snap pea dealer, Troy, always remembers me during pea season and gifts me a precious container of this backyard treasure. 

I’ve had them sautéed, stir-fried, and roasted, but fresh is best. A simple salad allows the peas to shine or just eat them as they come. I’d probably go to the movies more often if they served bags of sugar snap peas instead of popcorn. 

Devour them with a silent prayer of thankfulness and let Spring commence. 

Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Slightly adapted from Claire Saffitz

Serves 2-3 

For the dressing: 

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons plain whole Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, finely minced

A large pinch of kosher salt

For the peas: 

8 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more

Flaky salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Whisk buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and a large pinch of kosher salt in a medium bowl, set aside. 

Toss sugar snap peas, extra-virgin olive oil, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest in another medium bowl, season with salt and pepper.

Pour dressing into a shallow bowl and pile sugar snap peas in the center. Drizzle with more oil, season with more pepper, and top with more lemon zest.

Brian Medford is a baker, teacher and the owner of The Rusty Cup in Astoria. He has lived in the Northwest for more than 20 years and delights in Southern cooking. Contact him at blmedford@gmail.com.