Soup to take the chill off Spring! I know Spring is officially here but it still feels cool. The days are starting to warm slightly and there is evidence everywhere -- cherry blossoms are on the trees, daffodils and tulips are popping up from the ground and I've seen guys wearing shorts walking down the street eating ice cream (!). None the less, it's still not warm and I am impatient and want to eat something fresh but warming. I decided to make a very easy soup of green English peas, fresh spinach and mint. It's warm and comforting enough to ward off the April chill but light enough to make me think of the sunny days right around the corner. This is one of the easiest soups to make and very forgiving. Use more spinach and less peas if you like. Toss in a bit of zuchinni from the crisper. Substitute fresh basil instead of mint if you don't like it. I used frozen sweet baby peas as they are always available and fresh spinach leaves to give it a vibrant green color. The soup is thickened only with a bit of potato so it can be virtually dairy free and the mint adds a note of freshness. If you want to make the soup richer, add a splash of heavy cream and a bit of butter at the end. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the shallot or onion and garlic and saute until translucent.