Start a pot of salted water boiling and get a bowl of ice water ready to shock the peas and asparagus. If using frozen peas (see note* for fresh peas), the total cook time will be about 4 minutes. Once the peas are in the pot, time out 2 ½ minutes, then add the asparagus (which will take 90 seconds). Remove the vegetables immediately after 4 minutes to the ice water bath to stop the cooking process and keep the vibrant green color.

Turn the heat off in the pot of water and add your artichoke hearts for one minute. Remove the artichokes, quarter them, and set aside. This quick blanch takes much of the “canned” taste out of the artichokes.

First, bring the vegetable stock up to a boil in a small, covered saucepan and keep at a simmer. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan (that you can cover) over medium to medium-low heat. Once the butter stops foaming, add the couscous. Cook the couscous for about three minutes to absorb some butter and get the slightest golden-brown color. You’re not frying the couscous, so don’t worry if the color is barely perceptible, the flavor is there.

Right when the couscous begins to brown, turn the heat up on the stock to bring to a rolling boil. Carefully add the stock to the couscous, and immediately cover and turn the heat off. Stir once, then cover and let sit for about 10 minutes. Taste for doneness (al dente is the goal) and remove the couscous to a bowl. If there is residual liquid, strain it off. Add the olive oil to the couscous, stir and let it cool.

In a blender, add all the pesto ingredients except for the oil. Blend and then scrape the sides. Turn the blender back on and drizzle the olive oil into the pesto. Do this slowly at first and then you can increase the tempo – just don’t dump all the oil in at once. This should take about 1 minute to get the oil into the pesto. Taste for seasoning.

Combine all the spring ingredients with the cooled couscous in a large bowl and gently fold in the pesto to coat. Thoroughly combine the mixture, garnish and serve.