The Abridged version:
- Zoe Barrie’s latest “Cooking In Season” recipe is sugar snap peas with burrata, basil and lemon zest.
- Remove the tough, fibrous strings that run along the peas’ seams, then slice, sear briefly and season with salt and pepper.
- This dish is easy to make at home, but reminiscent of something you’d find in a farm-to-table restaurant.
This is Cooking In Season, a biweekly series from local recipe developer Zoe Barrie using seasonal produce available at Sacramento-area farmers markets.
On a warm, humming weekend with flourishing spring farmers markets, I’m drawn to innovative yet quick and simple ways to eat more produce. This means dishes that don’t feel overly complicated and require minimal time, yet still excite me.
Sugar snap peas, as delicious as they are right out of the bag, can be enhanced with just a few adjustments to become something much more captivating.
Start by removing the strings — the tough, fibrous line — that runs along the seam (or concave side) of the pod. You can simply snap off the stem end, then pull down to “unzip.” From there, thinly slice them on the bias, then sear briefly — 2 to 3 minutes maximum. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and pair them with a few composed ingredients. The result is a dish that feels straight off a farm-to-table restaurant menu — but requires minimal effort.
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Sugar snap peas with burrata, basil and lemon zest
Yield: 4 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes
These crisp, tender snap peas are paired with a creamy, luscious burrata and finished with a simple basil-lemon oil. Serve as a side dish with grilled meat or as an easy appetizer with a crusty loaf of bread. Make sure to take the burrata out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking for optimal results.
Ingredients
¼ cup tightly-packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, as needed
8 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
8 ounces burrata, room temperature
Flaky salt, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
In a small bowl, prepare the basil-lemon oil: Add chopped basil, lemon zest, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine, then set aside.
Step 2
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sugar snap peas, a small pinch of kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, lightly seared and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Step 3
Place the burrata in the center of a serving platter. Tear it open from the center. Arrange most of the sugar snap peas around the burrata, then spoon the remaining sugar snap peas over the top. Spoon the basil-lemon oil over the sugar snap peas and burrata, then finish with flaky salt and additional black pepper to taste.
Zoe Barrie is the writer and recipe developer behind Cooking In Season, a biweekly column featuring recipes made from the Sacramento region’s seasonal produce. She runs the popular Substack page Restaurant Dropout and previously worked in Bay Area restaurants after graduating from culinary school.