Lima Beans with Asparagus, Radish, and Green Peas

 

This day, today, is the start of my weekend.

The windows are open, some little mamma bird is building a nest under the roof outside my bedroom window, and Treme is playing on DVD – more for background noise since I’ve seen it about a million times by now, and the music makes me feel like life is perfect.

It’s my lazy day before tomorrow’s big cleaning and cooking day.  My real life work is both physically and emotionally demanding and I like to have one day out of my “weekend” to decompress, to be completely unproductive.  To sit on the couch or the deck and watch DVDs or read good books.  To leave the floor unvacuumed and the laundry unfolded.  An entire day just for me.

 

And besides,

It’s spring.

 

 

This easy lunch salad is all about spring.  It’s green and fresh and crisp and, most importantly, light.  It’s the first, slender shoots of asparagus and spicy, dirt dusted radish.  Cool peas meet tart lemon.  Am I the only one who likes to peel fresh peas and eat the halves one by one?   That’s not weird.   At all.

 

There are no heavy sauces and long braises here.  See ya winter.  Don’t let the flowers and honeybees and fresh produce hit you on the way out.

 

Spring.  Renewal.  New beginnings. I have big plans ahead.  Big things are tumbling around.

 

 

But first, lunch.

 

 

Lima Beans with Asparagus, Radish, and Green Peas

1 cup dried lima beans, picked through
1 cup asparagus spears, chopped 1.5 inches, blanched and shocked
1 radish, sliced paper thin
1/4 cup frozen green peas
squeeze fresh lemon
drizzle extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Soak the lima beans in water for 6-8 hours, or over night.  You want enough water so that as the beans soak up some, there will always be enough to keep the beans covered.  I covered the beans with about 3 inches of extra water.  After soaking, rinse the beans and simmer until tender, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.  Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.  Toss the beans with the blanched asparagus, radish, and green peas.  Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Combine.