A Last Hurrah for Sugar Snap Peas

Last call for sugar snap peas.

Sadly, sugar snap pea season is nearing its end. But if you don’t get around to making this salad before they disappear, don’t despair. The crisp early-summer green beans that are just beginning to show up at farmers’ markets in the Northeast make a great substitute.

Look for thin, young green beans that are firm and blemish-free. If you spy needle-like French haricots verts, grab them. Then blanch them until just tender in well salted water before tossing them with the dressing. For regular green beans, cut them into 1-inch pieces before blanching. Yellow wax beans work well too though they won’t add the vibrant, verdant color.

Melissa Clark writes the column “A Good Appetite” for the Times, is the author of a number of cookbooks, including the recent “In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite,” (Hyperion, 2010), and offers more recipes on her blog.