March in the Kitchen – Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Spring Peas

Happy Spring! My thoughts lately have been turning to Easter and the foods that define it, primarily eggs.

My garden has been producing a few handfuls of snap and snow peas, not enough at any one time for a full vegetable side. However the quantity is adequate for a supporting role with another key player, such as stir fried rice, pasta, or eggs. If you have never eaten snap or snow peas on the same day they are picked, you are in for a treat. They are sweet and juicy, nothing like the starchy three-day old peas you find at the grocers. Grab a bag full if you see them at your local farmer’s market and be sure to cook then the same day. With older peas use a trick of my mother’s,  add a pinch of sugar to the pan while cooking them. You could also use frozen regular peas. This is the perfect dish to serve at a spring brunch.

If you are lucky enough to have your own chickens, this dish is star quality. For years we had backyard chickens and the eggs were amazing, with bright orange yolks. Unfortunately, to our great sadness, the last one died about six years ago. She was 12 which is a very advanced age for a chicken. Atlas (that was her name) was a pet and hadn’t laid an egg in years, but she would follow me around the garden happily eating any insects or slugs I discovered while gardening. One day I hope to have chickens again, we were the number one tourist stop in the neighborhood.

Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Spring Peas (serves 4)

• 2 cups snap and/or snow peas, stringed, rinsed, and sliced lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons sweet butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt plus more for the eggs
• 9-10 eggs (preferably organic and pastured)
• 1 tablespoon of water or heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• Additional salt and pepper as needed

Scrambled eggs with goat cheese and spring peas

1.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. When it stops foaming, add the peas to the pan. Saute for 2 minutes or until bright green.
3. Meanwhile, scramble the eggs in a bowl with a tablespoon of water or heavy cream. Add a pinch of salt.
4. Add the eggs to the skillet with the peas, sprinkle with the goat cheese, and turn the heat down to medium.
5. Gently cook the eggs, pushing the eggs around in the pan until large curds form. Don’t hurry this process or over stir the eggs. Cook to your liking (my family likes soft curds but your own might like the eggs cooked longer) this took about 5 minutes.

Serve with buttered sourdough toast.

Sam – son of Priscilla

Scrambled eggs with goat cheese and spring peas