I love your brain

We planted a bevy of vegetables and herbs this past weekend. My husband built some raised beds and we finally filled a couple of them, as well as some existing pots, with four different tomatoes, two squash plants, loads of different chiles and peppers, radishes, scallions, fennel and heirloom onions, plus a bed full of herbs for kitchen use. Corn, eggplant and cucumbers will follow. If all goes well, or rather, grows well, we’ll be enjoying the fruits of our efforts all summer. Just planting was inspiring to me. We enjoyed the below crostini with a garlicky herb grilled bit of chicken. It felt and tasted like Spring! The textures of crunchy bread, creamy, smooth ricotta, and fresh snap peas and herbs were amazing. The crostini alone would make a lovely light meal…

SNAP PEA CROSTINI

1. ½ pound Sugar Snap Peas, trimmed if necessary
2. ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
3. ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
4. 2 tablespoons olive oil
5. Fresh cracked black pepper
6. Maldon sea salt
7. Baguette or other crusty bread – sliced on the diagonal in ½ inch slices
8. Olive oil for brushing on bread to toast
9. Fresh Ricotta cheese
10. ¼ cup fresh chives, minced
11. Lemon zest and juice

Brush the bread slices lightly with olive oil. Grill or toast the bread until crispy.

Mix the chives, lemon zest and 1 big squeeze of lemon juice into the ricotta cheese. Smear a generous layer of the ricotta mixture onto the toasted bread.

Blanch the sugar snap peas in boiling water for about two minutes. Plunge into ice water to stop cooking and cool the peas. Slice the peas roughly lengthwise. Mix the herbs and peas with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and crack of black pepper. Pile the pea mixture onto the cheese topped toasts. Drizzle very lightly with olive oil and a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt. Indulge!