It should be too late for peas right now, but Spring and Summer have been cool enough thus far to keep pea plants producing.  I picked up one of those small, plastic trays of some at the Grand Army Plaza farmers market to compliment my own modest, backyard-garden haul and improvised my way through the following.  I simply had the avocado on-hand and needed to use it, but the crispness of the peas contrasted very nicely with its silkiness.  This recipe makes two salads to accompany entrees.

Lemon Pea and Avocado Salad

• 12 ounces of fresh peas
• juice of one lemon
• 2 tbs dried thyme
• 1 dash of chili powder
• 5 or 6 cloves of garlic crushed and minced
• 1 avocado
• salad greens
• olive oil and salt & pepper, each to taste

Steam the peas in a steamer basket until they’ve just turned that light shade of New Spring Green.  You have to take them off when they are still bright green; slightly under-steamed is better than Great Britain’y grey, I promise.  (I suppose you could do this in the microwave, too.  You’d pour the peas in a bowl with about a tablespoon of water, cover, and nuke for two minutes or so.  Then check the color and proceed as necessary.)  Run peas under cold water to cool them down.

Mix the lemon, thyme, garlic, salt & pepper, and chili powder with ½ tbs of olive oil, then pour over the peas.  Store in the fridge for at least an hour.

Slice the avocado over two bowls of lettuce, drizzle with a little olive oil, then spoon the pea mixture on top.

Eat.