green salad with green beans, peas and crêpes

insalata di fagiolini, piselli e crespelle

TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

The addition of spinach flavored crespelles (crêpes) makes this summery salad a little more substantial, perfect for lunch or a light supper.

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Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pine nuts
Fine sea salt
1 3/4 ounces (1 1/4 cups packed) spinach
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed, cut crosswise
into thirds
1 1/4 cups frozen peas (not thawed)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plus 6 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup plus 7 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for crêpe pan
5 ounces baby lettuces (about 8 cups loosely packed)
10 small to medium radishes, halved or quartered, if large
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or
Grana Padano cheese
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat oven to 275º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 2 teaspoons water and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Spread mixture onto baking sheet and bake, turning and stirring once halfway through, until nuts are lightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan salted water to a boil; add spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer spinach to a colander (reserve pot with water). Press out as much liquid as possible with back of a large spoon. Transfer spinach to blender.

Return water to a boil. Add green beans; cook until just under crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add peas and cook 1 minute more. Drain vegetables in colander and run under cold tap water to stop cooking.

Add 1 egg to blender with spinach; purée to combine. Add 6 tablespoons milk, 6 tablespoons flour and pinch salt; purée until smooth. Transfer spinach batter to a bowl. Rinse out and dry blender. In the blender, combine remaining egg, remaining 1/3 cup milk, remaining 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour and pinch salt; purée to combine.

Remove nuts from oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

Put 2 tablespoons spinach batter in a small cup. Put 2 tablespoons plain batter in a second small cup. In an 8-inch, well-seasoned crêpe pan or nonstick skillet, heat scant 1/2 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Pour in the measured spinach batter and the measured plain batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom (colors will run together to create a marbled effect. If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe). Return skillet to heat and cook crêpe until set and lightly golden-brown underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Loosen edge of crêpe with a heatproof rubber spatula, then flip crêpe over carefully with your fingertips and cook until just set, about 30 seconds more. Transfer crêpe to a plate. Make 5 more crêpes in same manner, adding a little more oil to skillet before each one, and stacking them as cooked.

Divide lettuces, green beans, peas, radishes and toasted pine nuts among 4 serving plates. Roll up crêpes, then cut crosswise into several pieces. Arrange crêpe rolls on top of salads.

Rinse out and dry blender. Combine remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts, oil, cheese, lemon juice, and pinch salt and pepper in the blender; purée until smooth. Drizzle dressing over salads.

August 2010