From Adam’s Pantry Easy Pea Soup

This recipe is designed to use 8 ounces of frozen peas (half of a standard 1-pound package), but if you happen to buy peas in a 10-ounce package, go ahead and use the whole thing rather than leave a tiny bit in the bag. And you can use the peas right from the freezer—there’s no need to thaw them. Store any leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It will thicken a little in the fridge, so when you reheat it, stir in a few tablespoons of water or chicken broth until you’re happy with the consistency. BY ADAM RIED

HANDS-ON TIME: 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES MAKES: 2–3 SERVINGS (ABOUT 3 CUPS)

INGREDIENTS 2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped ¾ teaspoon kosher salt 1 (14.5-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup water 8 ounces frozen peas (about 1¾ cups) ¼ cup plain yogurt Whole-grain croutons, for garnish (optional, go to www.seasonedmag.org and search “croutons” to make your own) INSTRUCTIONS 1. Put a medium-sized saucepan on the stove, turn the heat to medium, and add the oil. 2. When the oil is hot, add the onion and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and golden, about 6 minutes. 3. Add the chicken broth, water, and frozen peas. Raise the heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, and cook until the peas are bright green and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the soup rest until it stops steaming, 10 to 15 minutes. 4. Pour the mixture into a blender, add the yogurt, and blend until very smooth.

Taste and add more salt if needed. 5. Serve, topped with croutons, if using. Or, if you’d like it hotter, pour the blended soup back into the pot, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, to heat it through, about 5 minutes. Tip: Storing Soup Before refrigerating or freezing hot soup, bring it to room temperature within 2 hours by putting it in smaller containers and stirring with a metal spoon to release the heat.

Or You Could • Omit the yogurt and instead add 2 tablespoons pesto when you put the soup in the blender. (You can find jarred pesto near the tomato sauce in the supermarket, or fresh pesto in the refrigerated aisle.) • Add 4 thinly sliced scallions (both white and green parts) to the pot as the mixture cools, before adding the yogurt and blending (it will be warm enough to soften the scallions a little).

Tip: When Frozen Is Better Fresh peas are wonderful, but unless you grow them in your own garden, it’s hard to get ahold of them before they start to turn starchy. So frozen peas, which are frozen right after harvesting, are often a better choice.

Tip: Blending Hot Liquids • Cool the mixture slightly before blending it, or else pressure could build up and force the lid off. • Don’t fill the blender jar more than about two-thirds full. • Remove the center cap from the blender lid, and hold a kitchen towel or pot holder over the hole as you blend to absorb the steam. • Start on slow and gradually increase the blender speed to medium-high. • Stop occasionally to scrape down the inside of the blender jar if solids stick to it.

COOKING WITH FRIENDS One-Pot Spring Pasta

Who likes to wash dishes? Not us. So, we are big fans of one-pot dishes. We love the classic pasta and vegetable recipe called Pasta Primavera, but that dish is a lot of work. This much easier version calls for just the right amount of water that magically cooks down to create a silky sauce right in the pan, with no need to cook the pasta separately and drain it.

HANDS-ON TIME: 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES MAKES: 4 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS 12 ounces medium-size pasta, such as penne or fusilli 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 3½ cups water 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen broccoli florets 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves (optional) INSTRUCTIONS 1. Put the pasta, garlic, salt, pepper, and water in a large lidded pot with a wide bottom. Put the pot on the stove, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes. 2. Stir in the frozen broccoli. Return to a boil, then cover. Cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and oil, cover again, and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. 3. Uncover the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is done and the water has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute more. Test the pasta by tasting a single piece; it should be tender but still have some bite to it. 4. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and Parmesan cheese, and toss well. Serve right away, topped with chopped basil, if using.

Or You Could You can add any of these in addition to the broccoli, or substitute one or more for the broccoli. • 1 small zucchini or summer squash, thinly sliced • 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed (see page 14) and cut into 1-inch pieces • 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced • 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces • 8 ounces frozen peas (about 1¾ cups)

Other Pastas Instead of penne or fusilli, you can use rotini, farfalle, small shells, or even elbow macaroni in this recipe. In fact, any short pasta shape will work just fine.

LEARNING FROM AN EXPERT Toni Tipton-Martin

In Jubilee, Toni Tipton-Martin shines a new light on African American cooking. This cooking is almost always talked about as “soul food,” and that is definitely part of it. But it is much more than that. As she says, “We hear less … about the cooking that can be traced to free people of color, the well-trained enslaved and skilled working class, entrepreneurs, and the black privileged class. Some prepared luxurious fare for their owners as cooks in plantation kitchens; others built reputations for fancy food ‘in freedom’ as food business operators who established and maintained their independence while building wealth for the next generation.” By showing us both styles—the cuisine developed in the homes of the elite and middle class as well as in the living quarters of the enslaved—TiptonMartin reveals the true nature of this rich and varied cooking that created much of what we know of as American cuisine.

PHOTO: PABLEAUX JOHNSON

Toni Tipton-Martin is a culinary journalist and community activist, and author of The Jemima Code, the James Beard Award–winning history of African American cookbooks, as well as Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking. She was twice invited to the White House to participate in First Lady Michelle Obama’s programs to raise a healthier generation of kids, and is a founding member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and Foodways Texas.