- 12 oz. sugar snap peas, trimmed
- 3 Tbsp. California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 to 3 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3 or 4 ears)
- ½ cup thin-sliced scallions
- ¼ cup chopped mint leaves or cilantro leaves and tender stems
- ½ tsp. coarse salt
Soak the sugar snap peas in a bowl of cold water with a couple of ice cubes for 10 minutes, drain.
Heat the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium low heat until the garlic begins to s sizzle. Add the sugar snaps and stir to coat with the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil. Cook, covered, on medium low heat, until the sugar snaps are crisp tender, about 4 minutes. Add the corn and scallions and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the mint and salt and spoon into a serving dish. Garnish with tiny cherry tomatoes, if desired.
Chef’s Note:Sugar snap peas and corn are so pretty together I find myself tossing them in a skillet with whatever herb I happen to have on hand. I sometimes use basil in place of the mint and diced zucchini, fresh from the garden, in place of the sugar snaps. Although the combination of corn and curry is not typical, sometimes I add a sprinkling of Madras curry powder along with a bit of grated ginger and garlic. To make a filling main or side dish use twice as much olive oil, toss in 1 to 2 cups leftover cooked rice and top with curls of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious!
Always looking for ways to cut preparation time, I suggest using string-less sugar snaps. They are sweet and tender and won’t require the painstaking task of trimming and pulling the strings from along the sides of each sugar snap pea. In the recipe below I suggest soaking the sugar snaps in ice water before braising them in olive oil. In my experience this rehydrates the sugar snaps and helps them to cook quickly in the hot olive oil.
To make quick work of cutting the kernels from ears of corn, break the ear in half. While holding it on its end in the center of a shallow soup plate, cut the kernels from the cob by pulling a sharp paring knife, held at an angle as close to the base of each kernel as possible, down along the cob. Zip, zip, zip and all the kernels are cut away. The halved cob insures the cut kernels land mostly in the bowl instead of flying all over the counter. One ear of corn equals between ½ and ¾ cup kernels.
Recipe courtesy of Marie Simmons