Pea Flower Tartine

Sneaking up coy vines, they appear suddenly and en masse, full of softness and intrigue. Common garden info doesn't acknowledge the edible qualities of peas beyond their pods. Shoots, tendrils, flowers, and leaves are delicious enjoyed in salads, omelets, soups, scattered over a savory roast and tucked beneath a roasted chicken or grilled fish. A muted pea-taste is found in the leaves and tendrils, while the flowers carry little taste at all and serve as a beautifying element. I love to make a salad of the leaves and curling vines as I pinch and cut back my plants to further their growth. Raw or lightly sautéed, a bland omelet is elevated by tendrils. Rich in color, the flowers soften a heavy roast when scattered over top and juxtapose the dark, caramely-sear of a burger hot off the grill. Leaves are excellent with fish and in a spring soup paired with light notes of sorrel and asparagus.

No doubt my favorite way to enjoy them is in a tartine (open-faced sandwich). A slice of bread serves as the foundation beneath a smothering of soft spread and various toppings. A perfect snack for one, slices of baguette can be used instead when serving as an appetizer. It's an easy recipe to accomplish, the tendrils and flowers doing the work for you- with an appearance sure to impress.

"Cooking Intuitively," as I like to call it, means to remove the crutch of following a recipe and tapping into your senses and ingredients to guide your flavors. Recipes are wonderful things- I own hundreds of them- and when I cook from a beautiful cookbook, such as Marcella Hazan's or Yvette Van Bowen's, I can feel the author through their food- their stories, taste memories, lives. I learn so much from cooking this way, more than anything a broader understanding of what makes a person's story. But these excellent cooks would never have become the elemental influences they were without stepping away from the following of others and venturing forth on their own. It's something I encourage you to do and something that guides the workshops I teach.

Below you'll find a recipe for a pea flower tartine. You could substitute the bread for a dark, rustic loaf and pair with an equally hearty cheese (such as Gouda), topped with tart crunchy apples in the fall season. Or you could swap the farmer's cheese for ricotta or labneh. Honey could be drizzled over top in place of olive oil.

There are many ways to go and the decision is yours. Begin in the garden, tasting the plant and noting it's crunch, sweetness, and texture. What flavors does it carry? What would compliment those flavors? What would be too gentle to have an effect? Too strong and overpowering? The knowledge you acquire builds an understanding of your ingredients and that is where cooking begins. 

Pea Flower Tartine

Ingredients: 

1 Slice of bread from a rustic country loaf

3 tablespoons fresh farmer's cheese (or ricotta or labneh)

a handful of fresh pea tendrils

a handful of fresh pea flowers

a good olive oil

Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Freshly cracked pepper

Directions: 

1. Simply spread the cheese over one side of the bread. Follow with a scattering of the pea tendrils and pea flowers. Drizzle olive oil, and top with a pinch of flaky salt and grind of fresh cracked pepper. 

Chive Blossom Phyllo Tart

I must admit, I went into this shoot with no intention of creating a recipe. I simply wanted to play and try to make something beautiful for the pure pleasure of it. I suppose, after years of cooking, I can't help but to baste the edges with butter and scatter salt. Recklessly tossing whole blossoms over top, peeling back the occasional bud, I was elated when, upon tasting, the crunchy dough nestled mild, roasted onion and garlic delight. Along with a smattering of herbs, it turned out to be well worth sharing. 

Chive Blossoms are a fun ingredient. The flower of the chive plant, globe-shaped buds first arrive at the market in spring. Having a short growing season, harvest can be extended when grown at home. Purple star-shaped petals have a light garlic scent and mild floral undertone. Distinctly tasting of garlic, they're subtle, oniony and garlicky at the same time. They're also easy to apply. Simply scatter into eggs (any kind), sprinkle atop deviled eggs (a favorite), or whizz into a dressing. Pairing perfectly with potatoes, they can be used where garlic is called for. For those looking for more options, they do well as a pizza topping and make a wonderful chive blossom vinegar. 

Chive Blossom Phyllo Tart with Garden Herbs

Phyllo dough is a wonderful thing. You can pick up a package in the freezer section of your local grocery store- usually near the desserts- and whip up a dinner- or dessert- in mere minutes (I know people say that, but in this case it's true). You may recognize it from Spanakopita or Baklava, which both utilize the layering effect. Anything you place over top will sink down into the dough, while parts left free will fluff and expand up- like a croissant. I used to make a "long leek tart" from Yvette Van Boven's first book by simply slicing leeks in half and laying across the dough, leaving an edge, and topping with feta. This recipe has a similar effect. The chive blossoms will settle- roasting in place- between buttery layers packed with air.  

Ingredients: 

1 roll Phyllo Dough (found in the freezer section of your grocery store)

2 tablespoons melted, salted Butter (Kerrygold brand recommended)

A bundle of chive blossoms

A small handful of sweet woodruff (a foraged herb light in flavor found in wet, shady areas. Also grown as a ground cover in gardens)

A small handful of chervil (Originating in Russia, a common herb for French Cooking)

*Parsley can be subbed in place of woodruff and chervil*

Sea Salt Flakes (such as Maldon)

Freshly cracked pepper

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the phyllo dough and gently lay flat on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Brush the dough with the melted butter and place the whole chive blossoms over top (I like to do this freely and see what shapes form in the oven). 

2. Scatter small pieces of the woodruff and chervil (or parsley) and follow with a few pinches of sea salt and cracks of pepper. Place in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, until light brown. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and enjoy the roasted, oniony garlic flavor of the chive blossoms.