Burrata with Speck, Peas, and Mint

   Aside from the heirloom tomatoes in my vegetable garden, peas have become my favorite crop.  I planted English shelling peas for the first time last year and this spring doubled the amount with half climbing peas, half bush.  When I was a little girl, I would sit in the middle of my aunt's pea patch (and it was huge), shelling pea after pea, eating all the contents and saving none.
   Last year I made pea risotto over and over; sometimes with prosciutto, sometimes using bacon.  This time around, I'm stuck on Burrata with Speck, Peas, and Mint.  I found Nancy Silverton's recipe for this in the cookbook, Harvest to Heat by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer.  I have checked this book from the library so often, my husband is saying... Just buy it!


     I'm loving speck, an air-dried ham from northern Italy, and may substitute it for prosciutto from now on.  My understanding is, both prosciutto and speck are salt cured, but speck is also smoked.  And... there is less fat on the slices!
     The combination of sweet peas, burrata, and speck are fantastic.  I'm hoping the harvesting of peas from my garden continues for a long while.  I need to make this (often) a few more times.

• 1 1/2 cups fresh peas
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, julienned
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound speck (about 16 slices)
• 1 pound fresh burrata, cut into 8 slices

1.  Fill a small saucepan with cold water and place over medium-high heat.  Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain peas in a mesh strainer and place under cold running water to cool.  Shake strainer to remove as much water from peas as possible.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine the peas, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, 4 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt and pepper to taste.  Gently mix ingredients until thoroughly combined.
3.  Arrange 4 slices of speck in a spoke pattern onto 4 plates.  Place 2 slices of burrata in the center of each plate of speck.
4.  Divide and scoop the pea mixture over the burrata.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Parmigiano evenly over the top of each plate.

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