Green Pea, Parsley, and Pistachio Dip

This bright green dip of sweet peas, parsley, and luscious pistachios is great served with brightly colored vegetables-baby carrots, sliced red bell peppers, rounds of yellow squash, and thin wedges of raw sweet potato. You can also add fresh or crisp breads or stone-ground tortilla chips to the mix. This might well become your go-to as a tasty snack or appetizer. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet.

Makes about 1 ½ cups

1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup firmly packed parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or ½ teaspoon dried
⅔ cup shelled pistachios (see Note), raw or toasted, as you prefer
Juice of ½ to 1 lemon or lime, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ water

Cook the peas in a steamer basket or in a small saucepan with just enough water to keep moist, until bright green and just tender-crisp.

In a food processor, combine the peas with the parsley, dill, pistachios, juice of ½ lemon or lime, salt, and water. Process until the mixture is an even, coarse puree, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.

Taste, and if you'd like a more tangy flavor, squeeze the remaining half of the lemon or lime into the mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and pulse the food processor on and off a few times to mix once again.

Note: It's not too difficult to shell ⅔ cup's worth of pistachios, but if you prefer, shelled pistachios are pretty easy to come by. Try well-stocked supermarkets or naturals food stores.