Spring Vegetable Salad with Mint Pesto

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup whole almonds with skins
• 6 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
• 6 ounces sugar snap peas, halved on the diagonal
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup mint pesto
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 ounces crumbled feta, or to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF. Scatter the almonds over a baking sheet, then bake them for 8 to 10 minutes, just until their toasty smell tells you they are ready. Set them aside to cool, then give them a rough chop or a quick crush.
2. Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring it up to a boil. While that is heating, set out a bowl filled with ice water. Drop in the green beans and cook them for 3 minutes. Stir in the sugar snap peas and peas, then leave them in the water for 2 minutes, until they still have a little snap. The vegetables should be in the pot for 5 minutes altogether.
3. Use a slotted spoon to move the vegetables straight into the ice water. Swirl them around for about 1 minute, then pour them into a colander. Tip them onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels and blot them dry.
4. In a large bowl, combine the green beans, sugar snap peas, peas and radishes with the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Spoon in the mint pesto and toss everything once more. Taste, then adjust with more salt, pepper or vinegar if that sounds right to you. Move the salad to a serving bowl or platter, and finish it with the almonds, feta and mint leaves.