peas

It’s a good time of year to cook with peas. Peas are a very under rated veggie here in the States. In Britain it is estimated the average Englander eats 9,000 peas per year.

Here are some other interesting pea facts:

  • Proper etiquette for eating peas is to squash them with the back of your fork
  • Freshly frozen garden peas are frozen within just two and a half-hours of being picked, locking in all the nutrients.
  • Just one serving of freshly frozen garden peas contains as much vitamin C as two large apples!
  • Peas are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, thiamine (B1), iron and phosphorus.
  • They are rich in protein, carbohydrates and fiber and low in fat.
  • A 100 calories serving of peas contains more protein than a whole egg or tablespoon of peanut butter.
  • The less water you use when cooking peas, the less vitamin C is lost. Steaming helps to conserve this vitamin. When boiling frozen peas, add enough water to cover, bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
  • Peas can be eaten directly from the pod.

Now how about a few easy peas-y ways to cook this delicious veggie-

  1. Add a little thin sliced garlic and butter to a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic until translucent. Toss in your fresh peas in pods and a dash of salt. Cook 2-3 minutes or until soft , but still bright green. Toss in some lemon juice.
  2. For an easy frozen pea recipe, add 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 lb peas, 3 cloves garlic. Throw everything into a medium skillet at medium heat for 5- 7 minutes. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
  3. And finally my favorite way to eat peas y’all is with some bacon and country ham. This is my personal recipe for Split Pea Soup in a crockpot: ( no I haven’t tried the instapot yet.)

Ingredients for Split Pea Soup

  • 1 lb dry split peas (see below)
  • 1 Sweet Vidalia Onion Chopped
  • 4 Carrots peeled and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 7 Cups of Chicken Stock
  • 5 slices cooked bacon (preferably thick and hickory smoked) chopped
  • 1/2 lb country ham browned in skillet chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp crushed or powdered rosemary
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

If you aren’t in a rush you can just rinse your peas. If you are soaking peas overnight cuts cooking time from 1.5-2 hours to about 45 minutes.
Follow directions above. Bay leaf need to go on top
I prefer setting the crockpot to slow and low for about 6 hours.
Thin with chicken stock
Thicken with a couple of teaspoons of flour dissolved in water before adding to.

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