Vote Early…. Vote Often… and VOTE FOR US!

Dear Martini is absolutely thrilled to be a part of  the first-ever SAVEUR Video Festival.  As a celebration of food and film online, it will be a curated presentation of the most creative and beautifully-told culinary stories in the world of video.  SAVEUR is a publication that celebrates authentic food, culture, and travel; they crisscross the globe to find honest and surprising stories about people and the meals that bring them together.

This week, after much nail-biting and sleepless nights, Saveur.com announced finalists for their first-ever Saveur Video Festival.  A call for submissions took place earlier in January, asking for videos related to the following categories:

• Ultra-short form (Less than 60 seconds)
• How-to and Recipe
• Documentary
• Animation and/Experimental
• Culinary Travel

Dear Martini is excited and proud to announce that we have been picked as a finalist!  Our Blanching Peas video is eligible to win a People’s Choice Award in the Ultra-Short Form category!

Please help us win the People’s Choice by casting your vote for our video and asking everyone you know to go vote for us as well! Simply use this link below, which will take you to the voting page.

http://www.saveur.com/video-festival-2013/vote.jsp?ID=1000014369

Thanks so much for your support!  We are so excited that our little video production endeavor is finally getting some national recognition!  Please spread the word!

WooHOO!

PEAS, PLEASE!

Springtime is the best time for the softest, sweetest, most tender produce!  We love PEAS!  All kinds of peas, but in particular, English peas (aka garden peas.)  They are at the height of their season right now (March – May) so hurry and get these on your table NOW!

Serve them with anything…  And everything.

http://vimeo.com/41225355

English Peas with Shallots and Mint

(serves 4)

One of our favorite way to eat peas is simply blanched, then tossed with melted butter, shallots and mint.  Variations on this theme:  substitute the mint for chervil,  chives, or flat-leaf parsley.

1 pound English pea pods, shelled and blanched

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, minced

Pinch of kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon mint chiffonade

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Shell the peas into a small bowl and blanch.  Set aside.

In a medium-sized saute pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant.

Add the peas and sauté until they are hot.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turn the heat off and toss in the mint and zest.  Serve immediately.

Remember, when working with our recipes on the blog, simply hit the blue hyperlinks in the recipe to see the associated technique video. It’s our way of guiding you through the recipe. Alternatively, you can view our Vimeo Portfolio, where all of the pea-related videos are bundled: http://vimeopro.com/dearmartini/peas-please