Katherine Hall Page, Agatha Award-winning mystery novelist

Recipes

Many of Katherine's recipes are available in her cookbook, Have Faith in Your Kitchen,
plus some additional material.

Note: the selection will change periodically, so copy these down while you can!
Also see:


Chilled Garden Pea Soup

What you need:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 scallions (spring onions) sliced thin
  • 4 cups frozen peas (Faith likes Birds Eye Sweet Garden Peas)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup crème fraiche
  • Fresh mint (optional)

Place the olive oil and scallions in a saucepan over medium heat and stir briefly. Do not brown the scallions.

Add the frozen peas and stir.
Add the water and stock.
Cover and bring to a boil. Check to see if the peas are tender.

Uncover, turn the heat down and simmer for approximately 7 minutes.
The peas should be quite tender now.

Remove from the stove and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Puree in two batches in a blender and pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
This soup is best made a day ahead.

Before serving add a dollop of crème fraiche or using a pastry bag, pipe thin concentric circles of the crème and using the sharp point of a knife, draw a line through them to the side of each soup plate to create a web. Garnish with the mint.

Of course if you are lucky enough to have enough fresh peas in season to make this, use them. You will cook them a few minutes less. Faith also uses her precious fresh peas for traditional salmon and peas on the Fourth of July.

For a variation on this dish, try garlic or another flavor infused olive oil. You may also add ¼ cup fresh mint leaves when pureeing.

A lovely first course or luncheon entrée. Serves six.


 


Copyright Katherine Hall Page and Proximity Internet Productions, 2007-