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1
Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Blanch asparagus, and pat dry with paper towels. (See The Blanching Blueprint, below.) Repeat with sugar snap peas and English peas.
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2
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, sugar snap peas, and English peas, and saute 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in Red Pepper Chowchow, and saute 1 minute. Serve immediately.
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3
THE BLANCHING BLUEPRINT
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4
BRING TO A BOIL. Wash and trim vegetables. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Stir in kosher salt until the water tastes as salty as the sea (about 1 1/2 Tbsp. per every 5 qt. of water). The salt will enhance the flavor of the vegetables. While the water returns to a boil, fill a large bowl halfway with ice cubes. Add just enough cold water to make the ice float.
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5
COOK AND SHOCK. Working with one variety at a time, boil vegetables until they are bright green and crisp-tender (1 to 2 minutes). Transfer to ice water to set the color and texture, using a slotted spoon or tongs. Chill until ice-cold. Cool tip: Try nestling a colander in the ice bath before adding the vegetables. That allows you to drain without bothering with pesky ice.
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6
STORE AND SERVE. Drain vegetables, and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Blanched, shocked vegetables will retain their bright color and crisp-tender texture when chilled up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months. Store in a zip-top plastic bag. Serve as crudites, use in stir-fries or pasta, or saute.
