July -- Peas

Peas are considered a vegetable but really they are a fruit since they contain seeds developed from a flower.  Green peas are the immature seed of dried peas which are often called field peas. Dried peas have been eaten for over 5000 years and were a staple food during the Middle Ages.  They were considered a poor man’s food as they were easy to grow and saved many from starving. Today, Canada is the largest producer of peas in the world.

Peas are small powerhouses of nutrition.  One cup of peas has less than 100 calories.  They are low in fat and high in fiber. They are also high in Vitamin B1 and B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Manganese and protein.  Peas have such high quality protein that many commercial protein powders are starting to use it in place of soy or dairy products.   

Peas are used in Chinese, Japanese, Mediterranean, Hungarian and American dishes.  They are best fresh, but are often dried, canned or frozen.

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Fresh Peas With Mint and Chives (From Native Food Celebration cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs peas
• 1 to 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (medium onion can be substituted)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 mint leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup chives, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
   
2. Cook peas in boiling water for about 2 minutes, drain and place in an ice bath to “shock” and keep them bright green.
   
3. In a skillet, saute shallots in olive oil until soft, brown and lightly caramelized.
   
4. Move shallots and olive oil into bowl with peas and toss with  mint leaves, chives and salt and pepper.
   

Serves: 6-8

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Baked Green Pea Fritters  (wallflowerkitchen.com)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for baking
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 ½ cup flour (or chickpea flour)
• 1 tsp soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp mixed fresh or dried herbs finely chopped (mixed dried Italian herbs work well)

​Herby Yogurt Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup soy or Greek yogurt
• Mixed fresh or dried herbs finely chopped (rosemary, parsley & mint)
• Juice from 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Add the peas to a medium saucepan, cover with water and boil, according to packets instructions and drain well.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes, until softened.
4. Add the peas, onions and garlic to a food processor and pulse until it becomes a thick paste.  Alternatively, you can use a masher to mix it by hand.
5. Stir in the flour, soda, salt and herbs.
6. The mixture is quite sticky so you will need to wet your hands to shape them into patties.  Scoop 1 Tbsp of the mixture, roll into a ball and press down slightly to create a patty shape on the baking sheet.
7. Brush the fritters with olive oil.
8. Bake For 15-18 minutes until golden brown, flipping them over half way.
9. Eat right away or keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.  You can also freeze them and reheat from frozen.

For the Dipping Sauce:
Simply mix all the ingredients together and serve in a small dish, along with the fritters.

Serves: 10

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Cream of Cashew Pea Soup   (bonappetit.com)

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Salt & pepper
• 2 cups raw cashews
• 2 Tbsp raw or light brown sugar
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 lbs green peas, thawed
• 1 Tbsp malt vinegar
• Thinly sliced scallions and crushed potato chips (for serving)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium low.  Add onions, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often and adding a splash or so of water if the bottom of pan gets too brown, until golden brown, 30-340 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Add cashews, sugar, red pepper flakes, and 3 cups water. Bring mixture to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are very soft and losing their structure.  10-15 minutes.
2. Blend one third of peas with one third of vegetable mixture in a blender, adding some cooking liquid from vegetable mixture as needed to thin, until very smooth, about 2 minutes.  Press puree through a fine mesh sieve into a medium saucepan; discard solids. Working in 2 batches, repeat with remaining peas and vegetable mixture,adding water as needed if you run out of cooking liquid.  If soup is still very thick, thin with water until you get a velvety, pourable consistency. You should have about 7 cups of soup.
3. Stir vinegar in soup; season with more salt and pepper and warm over medium low until heated through.
4. Serve soup topped with scallions and potato chips.
5. Do Ahead:  Soup can be made 2 days ahead.  Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat over medium low, thinning with water as needed until pourable.

Serves: 6

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Spring Salad Recipe  (yummly.com)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup vegenaise
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 Tbsp flat leaf parsley leaves (chopped)
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 lb fresh asparagus (steamed, then cut into bite size pieces)
• 10 oz frozen green peas (thawed and drained)

Directions:

1. Combine Vegenaise, lemon juice, mint, parsley, garlic and lemon peel in large bowl.
2. Add asparagus and peas and toss to coat.

Serves: 4

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