Snap Pea Salad with Feta and Mint

We recently ate at chef Richard Blais' restaurant in San Diego, Juniper and Ivy, and were very much impressed with the food.  While we waited for the wait staff to put the finishing touches on our table, I perused his cookbook, So Good, and put is on my hold list at my local library.  Not everything in the book is accessible to me in my Midwest location (read almost all the seafood) and some of the recipes are just not at the level of fussiness that I am capable of doing, but this one is in my wheel house and great for spring.

• • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbs. paprika (hot or sweet, your choice)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 pounds snap peas, trimmed (I did this with broccoli and it was great as well)
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chiffoned
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, stir the mayonnaise with the paprika and all but 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate the aioli for up to 12 hours, or set aside to use.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. When hot, pour in the oil. Add the snap peas and blister for about 30 seconds to char on one side. Turn over and char for about 30 seconds on the other side.
Toss the snap peas with the aioli (to taste.  You may have some left over for the next time) and mint. Serve topped with the feta and drizzled with the reserved tablespoon lemon juice.