Nourishments—

Pass The Peas, Please

By Nancy K. Crevier

I have vague memories of my grandmother and her three sisters — “the aunties” we called them — sitting in the shade of the back steps, shelling peas. My grandfather grew a remarkable crop of peas each spring, and with the early summer harvest came afternoons of shucking the peas. As the plump peas plinked into the pails set between the knees of each of the sisters, they talked and laughed and swatted at the occasional bee, while my own sisters and I played nearby. There was never a sense of hurry to their work, only the anticipation that the evening’s supper would include a pile of briskly boiled peas, far sweeter and a far more pleasant green than the winter fare of canned legumes that often accompanied a meal.

Today’s lifestyle does not allow for the stretches of time required to shuck fresh shelling peas, but luckily, edible pod peas such as the sugar snap and snow pea have come to the rescue, providing modern folks with the unparalleled flavor of fresh peas without the commitment to time. Plan to pay a pretty price if buying peas out of season, but right now is the perfect time to scour farmers’ markets and look for the best price on locally grown peas.

If you have a little extra time, a moderately sized plot of fertile soil can produce a great quantity of the cool-weather crop with very little work. Once the peas are planted, a bit of organic fertilizer and plenty of rain and sunshine practically guarantee a harvest in less than two months. A trellis or fencing is needed to hold up the meandering vines, or choose a dwarf variety that grows less than two feet tall and requires no support.

Pick snow peas when the pod is about 2 to 3 inches long, and still relatively flat. Sugar snap peas should be about as thick as the thumb when ready to harvest, the pod firm and bright green and tightly wrapped around the five to seven peas that fill the pod.

What I recall about the shucking process as involved my grandma, is that nearly as many of the peas seemed to be eaten like a snack food as ended up in the buckets headed for the dinner table. When first picked, the natural sugar content of peas is quite high, but like sweet corn, the sugar begins to convert to starch very quickly. Try to eat fresh peas within two days — or two hours — of harvest for the best flavor.

Some varieties of sugar snap peas will have a string running from end to end of the pod, which is easily removed before cooking. Edible pod sugar snap peas and snow peas should be quickly rinsed, the tip trimmed, and then simply boiled in a very small amount of water or lightly steamed for two to three minutes, just until a bright green in color. It took nearly a pound of shelling peas for my grandma and her sisters to get just one cup of the vegetable, but plan for just ¼ pound of edible pod peas per serving.

Not surprisingly, early season peas marry well with early season herbs like mint and parsley. Toss the lightly cooked peas with minced herbs, a dab of butter, a squeeze of lemon, and just the smallest pinch of salt for the easiest of side dishes.

There are numerous versions of Pasta Primavera that include not only the sweet peas of springtime, but other spring delights such as morel mushrooms and asparagus in a buttery wine sauce with chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Tossed with fresh fettuccine or linguine, Pasta Primavera is an easy and delicious main course.

Stir-fry snow peas with strips of chicken or chunks of tofu in a light tamari soy sauce flavored with fresh ginger and garlic, or add them raw to green salads and pasta salads.

Use fresh raw edible pod peas as a crudité for dipping into a bleu cheese and yogurt dip, or keep a bowl of washed pods in the refrigerator for a quick, low calorie snack — a cup of peas has only 45 calories, according to the US Department of Agriculture. A 2½ cup serving has the equivalent protein of a tablespoon of peanut butter or an egg, and is a good source of vitamins A, C, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. With no cholesterol, a minimal amount of fat, and hardly any sodium, and a walloping dose of flavor, how can you go wrong?

The days of shucking peas may be just a memory for most of us, but the days of local harvest for this healthy spring vegetable are just around the corner.