Sweet Pea and Feta Crostini

I’ve seen a lot of pea purees lately around the internet and I’ve been dying to give one a try, but quite frankly, something about the words “pea puree” makes me think about a yellow-brownish tiny jar of baby food.  Bleck!  I saw a recipe out there for a pea puree topped with feta and I decided to do some work on it and jazz it up a little bit.  The puree itself was a little flavorless so I added some garlic and some ricotta cheese to give it a more creamy texture without changing the vibrant green color.  It really is a perfect spring recipe and would be a great addition to any St. Patricks’ Day table!  What I like most about it is that you can use frozen peas which are available any time of year and cheap as dirt!  

Sweet Pea and Feta Crostini (serves 4 as an appetizer)

2 c. fresh or frozen sweet peas (if frozen, blanch in boiling water then plunge in ice water)

1/3 c. ricotta cheese

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 small block of feta cheese, crumbled

1 baguette, sliced and toasted

1.  In a food processor, combine peas, ricotta cheese, 3 tbsp EVOO, lemon juice and garlic cloves.  Process until creamy.  Season with salt and pepper.  Smear pea puree on each slice of toasted bread and top with crumbled feta.  Drizzle each crostini with olive oil.