My boys and I were so excited when our favorite farmer's market opened a week ago last Friday. It is now our weekly ritual to take Chris to work and stop by the farmer's market before they go to school. Rowan has to buy a container of strawberries (especially because he likes to sample a few) and Davin loves helping to choose what we buy. The local produce in season are broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and my favorite: peas. Although I enjoy peas outside their shells (especially the way my mom used to make them cooked with new red potatoes and a little milk, so amazing!), I really like sugar snap and snow peas because you can eat them in the shell. Give me a pile of sugar snap peas and fresh hummus and I'm a happy girl. Peas are very good for you as well. According to this
article in the CDC's website: "Peas are a good low calorie source of protein. A 100-calorie serving of peas (about ¾ cup) contains more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter and has less than one gram of fat and no cholesterol." This
article also stated that among it's other benefits, peas are a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Peas are also great for the environment because they naturally supply nitrogen to the soil (something that a lot of plants, like tomatoes, strip from the soil and farmers try to replenish with fertilizers). If you like to garden, try planting peas in the spring and fall in the spot where your tomatoes grow to help improve the soil quality naturally (they are also really easy to grow, just make sure you have a place for them to climb). Who knew peas were so versatile?
I found this
article with twelve recipe ideas for cooking with peas. One of the ideas included a "Bright-Green Pea Soup." Tiffani, didn't you make something like this a few weeks ago? I remember you telling me about it. If so, I would love your recipe as well if you would share it! If the rest of you have a favorite recipe, feel free to share! In the mean time, enjoy some peas however you like them best (Davin likes his frozen which is not my favorite. He will polish off a huge bowl of them straight from the freezer, so hooray for the frozen variety!)
Pictures courtesy of wholeliving.com.
Hi all- Here is Tiff's recipe: saute onions in olive oil with tarragon (or basil) until they are clear. Then you pour in chicken or veggie stock until it reaches a boil. Then you just put in your peas until they are cooked (if you use frozen peas you just put them in until they are thawed but not mushy. Then you put the whole thing in the blender. Serve with plain greek yogurt.
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