Top these toasts with fresh peas

(Bruschetta-like asparagus and pea toasts with brie make a tasty summer starter to any meal/Larry Crowe photos, The Associated Press)

While still savoring the taste of fresh peas from the garden, I came upon this feature on shelled peas by J.M. Hirsch, food editor for The Associated Press. He concurs, there is nothing like the taste of freshly shelled peas in summer.

He also notes that it takes a while to shell fresh peas, something you might not be inclined to do during the week when you get home from work and are looking for a quick meal to make.
If you have large markets in your neighborhood, shelled fresh peas might be available in the produce section, he says. But you can also just shell a bunch of them over the weekend, use what you want and save the rest in small containers to use the rest of the week, which is what I recently did.
It only takes a bit of planning to provide a fresh taste of summer in a weekday meal.

And if you're looking for more recipes that are quick and easy, check out today's Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal, where you'll find recipes for a festive berry tart that would be perfect for the Fourth of July and a barbecued salad studded with fennel and corn that can be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon.

If you have some freshly shelled peas at your disposal, try this recipe from The Associated Press for a great starter to your Fourth of July get-together. I think I know what I am going to do with that last container of shelled peas in my refrigerator.

"Thick slices of sourdough bread are toasted, then topped with a slab of brie and a quick saute of asparagus, fresh peas and onion. The asparagus and pea mixture also would be good tossed with cooked pasta. If you go that route, cut up the brie as best you can and toss that in, too. You may need to add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to help create a sauce to coat the pasta."

Asparagus and Pea Toasts with Brie

Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

1. 2 tablespoons butter
2. 4 large slices rustic sourdough bread (1/2-inch-thick)
3. 1 tablespoon olive oil
4. 1 clove garlic, minced
5. 1 small yellow onion, diced
6. 1 bunch asparagus, bottoms trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths
7. 1 cup fresh peas
8. Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
9. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
10. 6 to 8 ounces brie

• Heat the oven to broil.
• Divide the butter between the bread slices, spreading it evenly over one side of each. Set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, asparagus and peas. Saute until the asparagus is just barely tender, about 4 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the mint. Set aside.
• Place the bread slices under the broiler. Toast until just lightly browned and the butter is melted. Remove the bread from the oven and smear a quarter of the brie over each slice. Return to the broiler for another minute. Top each slice with a quarter of the asparagus and pea mixture.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 596 calories; 224 calories from fat; 25 g fat (13 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 67 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 7 g fiber; 1,063 mg sodium.