The winter up here was so cold this year that I got out as soon as I
could in April to plant something, anything; I didn't care as long as I
was digging. I planted peas which the package said could go in the
ground early. Yesterday I harvested peas. I don't think I'd ever
tasted them fresh before. I've always found the frozen ones to be
edible but nothing like this. These were candy just shelled and eaten raw.


I tossed them around in a little butter with carrots yesterday just long
enough to get them heated, then added some cream and grated cheese and
combined that with pasta. Very good.


I'd like more ideas. I'd put them raw in salads (I grew lettuce too),
but they're hard to capture with a fork. I understand that overcooking
is the enemy of fresh peas. Stir fried with other vegetables and served
over rice? I feel like I've got gold and don't want to waste it. I
have enough for about 3-4 more meals.


--Lia

In article <HtLEc.7825$%_6.4808@attbi_s01>, Julia
Altshuler > wrote:

Pea snip
> I'd like more ideas. I'd put them raw in salads (I grew
> lettuce too),
> but they're hard to capture with a fork. I understand
> that overcooking
> is the enemy of fresh peas. Stir fried with other
> vegetables and served
> over rice? I feel like I've got gold and don't want to
> waste it. I
> have enough for about 3-4 more meals.
>
>
> --Lia
>

Creamed new potatoes with fresh peas and a bit of hard
boiled egg is one of my faves.

Amy

Julia Altshuler wrote:

> I tossed them around in a little butter with carrots yesterday just long
> enough to get them heated, then added some cream and grated cheese and
> combined that with pasta. Very good.
>
> I'd like more ideas. I'd put them raw in salads (I grew lettuce too),
> but they're hard to capture with a fork. I understand that overcooking
> is the enemy of fresh peas. Stir fried with other vegetables and served
> over rice? I feel like I've got gold and don't want to waste it. I
> have enough for about 3-4 more meals.

There's nothing quite like peas straight out of the garden. I have never tried
stir frying them because they take quite a while to cook, unlike other fresh
garden veggies that are best a little crunchy. I gave up on gardening because
it was too much work to keep the weeds down, so I now have to buy fresh peas at
the market. I find them very expensive an a lot of work for the few peas that
you get in a basket. Now that I have more time on my hands , it may be time to
try my hand at gardening again.

Julia wrote:

> I planted peas which the package said could go in the
> ground early...candy just shelled and eaten raw.
<snip>
> I'd like more ideas. I'd put them raw in salads (I grew lettuce too),
> but they're hard to capture with a fork. I understand that overcooking
> is the enemy of fresh peas. Stir fried with other vegetables and served
> over rice? I feel like I've got gold and don't want to waste it. I
> have enough for about 3-4 more meals.

Chilled Lettuce and Pea Soup (from _A Celebration of Soups_)

4 tablespoons butter
4 medium-sized onions, peeled and chopped
1 large head iceberg lettuce or 3 heads Boston lettuce, rinsed, trimmed, and
shredded
1 1/4 pounds peas, shelled
6 cups chicken stock
3 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt
White pepper
Chopped fresh mint

In a soup kettle heat the butter over medium-low heat and cook the onions
until translucent.

Add the next seven ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat,
and simmer the vegetables, covered, for 45 minutes.

Blend the mixture (either in a blender or with an immersion blender in the
pot) until it is smooth.

Season the soup with salt and white pepper. Chill it for at least 4 hours.
Before serving, taste and re-season if necessary. Serve garnished with mint.


BOB'S NOTES:

1. This makes about a half-gallon of soup; I generally cut the recipe by a
factor of three.

2. It sounds like you might not need the sugar. Taste the soup before adding
it and don't add it if you think it might make the soup too sweet.

3. Do try to use white pepper rather than black pepper; it makes a
difference.

4. Instead of doing the mint garnish, you could put a dollop of yogurt, sour
cream, or creme fraiche on top of the soup. I've been known to pour a couple
tablespoons of buttermilk on top instead and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.


Bob

Julia Altshuler > wrote in message news:<HtLEc.7825$%_6.4808@attbi_s01>...
> The winter up here was so cold this year that I got out as soon as I
> could in April to plant something, anything; I didn't care as long as I
> was digging. I planted peas which the package said could go in the
> ground early. Yesterday I harvested peas. I don't think I'd ever
> tasted them fresh before. I've always found the frozen ones to be
> edible but nothing like this. These were candy just shelled and eaten raw.
>
>
> I tossed them around in a little butter with carrots yesterday just long
> enough to get them heated, then added some cream and grated cheese and
> combined that with pasta. Very good.
>
>
> I'd like more ideas. I'd put them raw in salads (I grew lettuce too),
> but they're hard to capture with a fork. I understand that overcooking
> is the enemy of fresh peas. Stir fried with other vegetables and served
> over rice? I feel like I've got gold and don't want to waste it. I
> have enough for about 3-4 more meals.

My sisters and I often reminisce about how good the peas were in my
Grandma's garden in Lancaster, Minnesota. They were fun to eat
standing in the garden. I remember my mom had a simple salad recipe of
fresh peas, cheddar cheese in cubes the size of peas, and mayonnaise
and s&p. Sounds like a midwest salad, doesn't it? Anway, I envy your
peas... have peas envy. ha.

Karen

Thanks for the recipe. Combining lettuce and peas for a soup is one I
never would have thought of myself. I even have lettuce here though it
is red and green leaf.


Peas and potatoes are a natural. I have to make that at least once.


Yesterday I dug up the place in the garden where the peas used to be and
put in seedlings of peppers and canteloupe. I'm curious about the
canteloupe and hope there's enough time before frost to get a good one.
I have never been this organized in the garden before.


--Lia

A Ross > wrote in message >.. .
>
> Creamed new potatoes with fresh peas and a bit of hard
> boiled egg is one of my faves.

Or creamed chicken and peas on buttered toast. Or creamed salmon and
peas on an English muffin.

Karen

On 2 Jul 2004 09:56:01 -0700, (Karen
O'Mara) wrote:

> Or creamed salmon and
> peas on an English muffin.

Creamed tuna and peas on toast is comfort food for me.


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf > wrote in
:

> On 2 Jul 2004 09:56:01 -0700, (Karen
> O'Mara) wrote:
>
>> Or creamed salmon and
>> peas on an English muffin.
>
> Creamed tuna and peas on toast is comfort food for me.

Canned or frozen peas? Made with cream sauce or cream of something soup?

--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.

On Sat, 03 Jul 2004 07:38:29 GMT, Wayne >
wrote:

> sf > wrote in
> :
>
> > On 2 Jul 2004 09:56:01 -0700, (Karen
> > O'Mara) wrote:
> >
> >> Or creamed salmon and
> >> peas on an English muffin.
> >
> > Creamed tuna and peas on toast is comfort food for me.
>
> Canned or frozen peas? Made with cream sauce or cream of something soup?

Always frozen PETIT peas for me. Can't abide the big ones
because they remind me of eating canned peas as a kid.
Yuck!

I make a "cream sauce" which is just plain old bechamel...

Make a roux of 2 T butter & 2 flour, slowly add a cup or so
of milk (stir with a whisk), bring almost to a boil (stir
occasionally), cover & let simmer on your lowest heat for
5-10 minutes. When you take the lid off, it should be
thick. Add the tuna and peas, stir - the peas will thaw &
heat up immediately. Spoon over toast. YUM!


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf > wrote in
:

> On Sat, 03 Jul 2004 07:38:29 GMT, Wayne >
> wrote:
>
>> sf > wrote in
>> :
>>
>> > On 2 Jul 2004 09:56:01 -0700, (Karen
>> > O'Mara) wrote:
>> >
>> >> Or creamed salmon and
>> >> peas on an English muffin.
>> >
>> > Creamed tuna and peas on toast is comfort food for me.
>>
>> Canned or frozen peas? Made with cream sauce or cream of something
>> soup?
>
> Always frozen PETIT peas for me. Can't abide the big ones
> because they remind me of eating canned peas as a kid.
> Yuck!
>
> I make a "cream sauce" which is just plain old bechamel...
>
> Make a roux of 2 T butter & 2 flour, slowly add a cup or so
> of milk (stir with a whisk), bring almost to a boil (stir
> occasionally), cover & let simmer on your lowest heat for
> 5-10 minutes. When you take the lid off, it should be
> thick. Add the tuna and peas, stir - the peas will thaw &
> heat up immediately. Spoon over toast. YUM!

Thanks. That's pretty much the way I make it but I add a splash of
Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of cayenne to the sauce. I usually use
the large frozen peas, but I like them. Hate canned peas! I'll have to
try the petite peas next time.

A friend once served this for lunch and made it with cream of mushroom
soup diluted a bit with milk. It wasn't bad.

--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.

On Sat, 03 Jul 2004 21:16:56 GMT, Wayne >
wrote:

> Thanks. That's pretty much the way I make it but I add a splash of
> Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of cayenne to the sauce. I usually use
> the large frozen peas, but I like them. Hate canned peas! I'll have to
> try the petite peas next time.

<smile> We talked about this at the right time... I made it
for breakfast (well, brunch), because you made me so hungry
for it. btw: I forgot to mention a pinch of salt.


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf > wrote in
:

> On Sat, 03 Jul 2004 21:16:56 GMT, Wayne >
> wrote:
>
>> Thanks. That's pretty much the way I make it but I add a splash of
>> Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of cayenne to the sauce. I usually
>> use the large frozen peas, but I like them. Hate canned peas! I'll
>> have to try the petite peas next time.
>
> <smile> We talked about this at the right time... I made it
> for breakfast (well, brunch), because you made me so hungry
> for it. btw: I forgot to mention a pinch of salt.

Then I'm glad for the timing! Actually, I was also set to have it after
this exchange, but SO and I were in and out all day with errands and
shopping, and SO "needed" a hamburger on one of the trips. I caved. Since
I'm off on Monday, that sounds like a good idea. Tomorrow is ribs and
steaks. And, oh yes, salt...a must.

--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.

On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 00:40:19 GMT, Wayne >
wrote:

> If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.

LOL! That's a keeper!


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf > wrote in
:

> On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 00:40:19 GMT, Wayne >
> wrote:
>
>> If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.
>
> LOL! That's a keeper!
>
>
> Practice safe eating - always use condiments

Thanks!

--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.

In article >,
(Karen O'Mara) wrote:

> A Ross > wrote in message
> >.. .
> >
> > Creamed new potatoes with fresh peas and a bit of hard
> > boiled egg is one of my faves.
>
> Or creamed chicken and peas on buttered toast. Or creamed salmon and
> peas on an English muffin.
>
> Karen

Hey, are you still coming through Minneapolis? Or have I confused you
with someone else?

We used to have creamed peas and carrots on toast - on Fridays.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> An update on 7/4/04.