Shelling Pea Guacamole

One of the first crops in our garden each year is the shelling peas. I love watching the tendrils twist and curl, and the delicate white blooms unfold and cover the bushy plants. As the pea pods form, they cover the plant in perfectly plump pods of fresh, sweet peas.

I started growing shelling peas before snap, curious what the difference was when home grown. The first pod I opened revealed bright and shiny peas, far more enticing than their frozen counterparts. The first bite was pure joy. The peas pop in your mouth, fresh with sweet pea flavor. Ever since that first pea, we always have a patch of shelling peas in our spring garden.

When I used to travel for work, I had my very first trip to New York City. I traveled with a coworker who used to live there, and took me to her favorite spots to eat - lunch at a hole-in-the-wall for the best soup dumplings around, breakfast at her favorite spot for bagels, and dinner at ABC Kitchen. One of the first dishes of the night was guacamole with shelling peas. It was incredible. The spicy and creamy guacamole was elevated by the perfect balance of fresh peas, adding texture and sweet contrast to the dip. Of all the food we enjoyed that night, I could not forget that simple dish.

This recipe is my ode to the ABC original and a modification of the Food52 Genius Recipes cookbook guacamole recipe.

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro
2 green onions, cut into large pieces
1/2 a jalapeño with seeds (exclude seeds for less heat)
1/2 tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Juice from 1 large lime
3 avocados
1/4 c. fresh shelling peas, or frozen peas

Recipe

1. Cut avocado into cubes and set aside in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Blend the cilantro, green onions, jalapeño, salt, and half the lime juice in a food processor until finely chopped.
3. Stir cilantro mixture into cubed avocado, mashing lightly with a fork. I enjoy a more chunky consistency, but you can mash to your desired texture.
4. Fold in the peas* and the rest of the lime juice. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Enjoy with your favorite corn chips.

*If using frozen, simply stir in the same amount of frozen peas. Let guacamole sit for 5-10 minutes to allow peas to dethaw.