Growing up, my sister Michelle and I hated peas. My mom always said that it was just because our dad didn't like them, and he got away with not having to eat them. She figured we were just trying to get out of eating them, too - and so the story of "control" among mom and daughter began!
It's funny how a childhood idea/memory can stay with you well into adulthood. I also thought I hated coconut until I was well into my 30's, when I realized that I actually liked it (German Chocolate Cake will do that to you!). Turns out when I was a little kid, my crafty dad TOLD me I didn't like coconut, so that he could eat all my Mounds and Almond Joy bars at Halloween. But hating peas was MY idea, not my dad's (or so I told myself), so I held onto that one for quite a while.
But about a year ago when I was at the farmers' market, I met a particularly passionate pea farmer. He gave me some English pea pods and told me to just eat them right out of the pod. So here's what happened in my head.....A) Gross; those are peas! and B) Don't you have to cook them first, preferably in a ton of butter??? and C) I wonder if he'll fall for the old "hey, what's that over there?" trick. But instead I tried it......and they were delicious! We're not talking frozen peas here, people! These sweet little gems are truly a perfect food, with more protein than other veggies and full of iron, vitamin C, fiber and lutein (great for your eyes). I dig 'em......don't tell my mom.
Here's a delicious way to eat them....my Sweet Pea Crostini. This will make any pea hater a pea lover. I fixed this in a cooking class last week and the overwhelming response was, "This is soooo fresh!" Well yes it is....and yet another example of why cooking/eating "in season" is the way to go. It doesn't get better than fresh produce eaten in season.
P.S. you could add a little more olive oil, mixed with some water to loosen this up even further.... then it would be delicious tossed with pasta or over grilled fish or chicken. I'll be giving that a go before these beauties disappear until next year.
Sweet Pea Crostini Makes 18
18 slices French
baguette
4 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic,
halved
1 cup shelled
English peas, blanched and shocked
½ cup baby
arugula
2 ounces goat
cheese
1 tablespoon
fresh dill, plus extra for garnishing
1 teaspoon lemon
zest
1 teaspoon lemon
juice
Pinch salt
·
Preheat
oven to 375⁰.
·
Brush
baguette slices on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and rub cut side of garlic cloves
on both sides.
·
Place
on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cook for 7-10 minutes until lightly
browned.
·
Meanwhile,
bring a large pot of water to boil and add peas.
·
Cook 2-3
minutes, until bright green, then plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop
cooking.
·
Shell
the peas and place in a blender along with arugula, goat cheese, dill, lemon
juice & zest, and salt.
Blend until smooth paste forms. With motor running, drizzle in remaining couple tablespoons of oil to loosen up the spread slightly.
·
Top on
warm baguette slices, garnish with dill and serve immediately.
Yum it up!!
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