Take Your Pick: Hot or Cold

During the depths of winter, I sometimes feel as if I’m scraping the dregs out of the “boring stuff” barrel and serving it up lukewarm. Well, take your pick: hot or cold, and the result certainly won’t be either tepid or humdrum.

Make it with fresh or frozen peas and serve it cold; or make it hot, as offered here. It might even make you smile, if you’re from the Midwest.

Hot Pea Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound peas (fresh or a 16-ounce frozen package)
1/2 cup bacon
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
mayonnaise
ground black pepper or smoked paprika

Fry the bacon crisp. Remove from pan and crumble.

Sear the peas quickly in the bacon fat, over high heat. Drain.

Lightly toss peas and bacon with onions and mayonnaise.

Garnish with pepper or paprika.

Most cooks can’t resist tucking in some grated or cubed cheese. Can you?

By the way, canned peas are too mushy.