Several years ago at a small restaurant called Le Saint-Joseph, located on the outskirts of Paris, I savored a creamy celadon-hued soup of fresh peas garnished with diced feta and mini-croutons. At home, I worked hard to reproduce the Parisian original, and was pleased with my close facsimile. This year, once again in Paris, but this time at Pétrelle, a new restaurant in the 9th, I discovered another silken smooth spring pea potage, but this one was garnished with toasted hazelnuts. Crazy about both, I decided to replace the croutons in my earlier version with hazelnuts. I loved the results and served the soup this past weekend at a lunch for out-of-town guests. When everyone took seconds, I knew this latest variation was the best!
Sautéed leeks and tarragon make fine partners to the peas, which are simmered for a few minutes in chicken stock, and then pureed. Some half-and-half adds a smooth finishing touch. It is the simple garnishes, though, that distinguish this soup. I sliced a block of feta into fine dice and then toasted and crushed some hazelnuts. Then I spooned these ingredients along with a sprinkle of chopped tarragon atop each serving. These additions added color, a crunchy texture, and an herbal accent to the dish.
I served this soup with a club sandwich prepared with a whole loaf of ciabatta that was stuffed and sliced. However, you could easily make this delectable potage the anchor of a light summer meal. Pair it with a salad of tender green oak leaf lettuce and thinly sliced cucumbers and scallions tossed in a white wine vinaigrette plus a warm crusty baguette to round out the menu.
Since we live in a college town (there are 3 colleges in Amherst and two more in neighboring communities!), many of our friends are away during the summer when school is out. Labor Day is the magical date by which everyone has returned, so this year my husband and I have invited two couples we have not seen in months for a casual supper during this holiday weekend.
