I love seasonal cooking. One of the most magical things about the changing seasons are those first signs of your favorite fresh fruit of vegetable making its appearance back at the farmer's market or store. Springtime is a particularly bright culinary time. Fresh, delicate asparagus, bright spicy sweet radishes, crispy sugar snap peas... and making that first dish of the season is a most special moment.

This year's springtime inauguration manifested as a sugar snap pea and warm asparagus salad with feta cheese and pistachios. The contrasting warmth of the lightly roasted asparagus with the fresh, crisp "snap" of the peas makes for a most refreshing dish with major health points via it's monochrome green palate, and the slightly softened feta and pistachios give a rich and indulgent touch. 

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1 bunch of asparagus

2 handfuls fresh sugar snap peas

2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped

3 tablespoons feta cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Pinch of salt and pepper

Recipe

Cut the hard bottoms of the asparagus, coat them lightly in one of the tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC.

Toss the warm asparagus with the sugar snap peas, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Divide the salad between the plates and top with chopped pistachios and feta cheese.