Spring Pea "Hummus" with Shaved Parmesan

In last week's Wayward Seed CSA share, I received about a pound of unshelled English peas.  After freeing them from their pods, I was left with a bowlful of tiny, beautiful, bright green orbs and decided that since there  were so few of them, I needed to really showcase their flavor.  

I remembered that Chef John Dornback of Basi Italia had offered a pea puree appetizer at the Taste of Dine Originals event, and decided to use that dish as inspiration.  They had served the lightly mashed peas on a single-serving spoon topped with shaved Parmesan.   Since I had just purchased a baguette from Omega Bakery at the North Market (not-so shameless plug: Go there! Get their bread! It's amazing!), I decided throw together a pea and Parmesan "hummus" to spread on said bread.

Twenty minutes later, I had a party-worthy appetizer that looked and tasted of early summer.  The sweetness of the peas is balanced by the salty Parmesan and the mellow bite of the onions and garlic scapes.  Some fresh ground pepper adds a tiny bite, and the lemon juice brightens the whole dish.

Since pea season is (sadly) winding down/practically over here in Ohio, I would recommend you use thawed, frozen peas.  They'll work just as well, and taste just as delicious.

Spring Pea "Hummus" with Shaved Parmesan

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas, or thawed frozen peas
2 garlic scapes or 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 green onions or 1 scallion, roughly chopped
1/4 lb (or 1 cup, shredded) Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons cream or half & half
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Baguette, thinly sliced and toasted, if desired

Directions:
1. In a skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter, and saute the peas, scapes/garlic, and scallions, if using.  Cook them only until the peas are softened and bright green.

2.  Pour the sauteed pea mixture into a food processor, and add the green onions (if using), lemon juice, cream, and about 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.  Puree until smooth, adding more cream if necessary, and salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Brush the baguette slices with a little olive oil, top with a spoonful of pea puree and add a sprinkle of Parmesan (if shredded), or use a vegetable peeler to create shavings.  

4. Share with friends at your next cookout or party.