North Shore Snap Peas

On the North Shore of Long Island, New York, Fred Lee tills the same soil that his father used to work in the 1940s. Fred made the switch to growing certified organic produce in 2006. Springtime at Sang Lee Farms, as his spread is called, brings a wealth of crunchy snap peas, some of my favorite harbingers of the season. A cross between the English pea and the snow pea, the snap pea was developed in the 1970s. I've always loved the crisp, grassy bite of its outer shell and the delicate texture of the pea within. I love to eat snap peas fresh and whole, and I found two other great preparations, a sugar snap pea soup and a salad that also features lamb and mint.