We’re really “in the peas” now around here. The shelling peas are going gangbusters, as are the snow and snap peas. Tonight I filled half of a 5 gallon bucket with an assortment. And there were likely more out there, but we got distracted hunting for strawberries instead.
I love peas. I really really love peas. We had the first cooked shelling peas tonight steamed with a bit of farmstead butter and salt. Mmmmm.
How are your peas doing?
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Seems that peas are the topic these days. Last weekend my family and I went on a pea-shelling and preserving spree, and I’ve eating them raw all week long. Nothing (or very little) is better than a fresh picked, raw pea.
our first crop of peas is long gone, but our next batch is going pretty well; no flowers yet, but they’re making lots of nice foliage. Luckily our summers are so mild that we can grow spring crops until Indian summer hits.
I wish we had enough to space to be swimming in peas like you. I don’t think our entire harvest would have half-filled your bucket, even if we hadn’t eaten most of them straight off the vines.
I would have loved to have frozen some for later in the year. Hm, maybe I should buy some at the farmers market and do that — they’re so expensive, though.. that’s one of the reasons we grew them.
We’ve got peas coming out our ears. They most often get eaten straight out of the garden (the dog LOVES the shells, and I love the peas). However, the other night I did make a killer salad of sorts. Chick peas, shelling peas, chives, mint and parsley with a simple lemon and olive oil dressing. Yum. I will be sad when pea season is over.
This is the first year we’ve planted english peas (it’s always just been sugar snaps) and I have to say–I’m sorry we’ve been missing out all these years! Our harvest was pretty good–despite the wet spring mixed in with blazing hot days. We got a pretty good haul (for first-time english pea-ers) over the weekend, but it’s so hot around here the peas are probably just about over for us.
Can’t wait ’til fall when we’ll definitely plan on planting some more!
I’ve been buying them at the farmer’s market; shelling, blanching and freezing some of them for the winter. I’ve been doing the same with fresh corn from a local farm.
Oh gosh, I love peas more than anything. My dad has a farm market in upstate New York and when the peas needed refilling, the joke was always, “Shucks”. It was a joke, to us anyway! Now that I type it it doesn’t seem as funny. I remember shucking bushels-full of peas with my grandpa, who’s now gone. Good stuff, peas.
I have been loving the peas from the market this past week. Yours look amazing!
Favorite: fresh off of the vine – popped in my mouth – a burst of sweetness!
Next favorite: stir fry!
I love a nice stew with lots of peas that have been put up for the winter in them, too.
We’ve got quite the bumper crop, too. Amazing considering how long it took them to come up this year!
Our peas are absolutely at the sweet spot right now. We lightly steamed a bunch for dinner tonight, and I said “wouldn’t these make a beautiful picture?” Then we ate them. Glad to see someone had a camera out at the right time!
Do you do anything with the pods once you’ve taken out the peas? We throw ours in the compost or give them to the chickens, but I was reading on a blog somewhere that you could put them in with your veggies when making stock….how does that sound?
Mangochild :: Mmmm. We’ve been eating them raw up until Thursday night. We’d had 3 days of nasty weather and so were finally able to get out and really pick. Can’t wait to eat more tonight!
Anita :: Yours were so much more appreciated than ours though. By the time we’re done picking, shelling, eating and freezing each year I’m ready to be done with them. Maybe you can put an ad on Craigslist and see if anyone has extras they’d like to sell. I can easily see myself getting there in another few weeks…
Maya :: Your salad sounds delish! Maybe I’ll make that for our 4th BBQ. Jake loves the shells and last night he was pulling pods right off the vine. Had to nip that behavior in the bud!
Sparow :: so glad you’re enjoying them! One of my favorite memories as a kid is of shelling peas with my mom. There’s really nothing better. Our fall round failed last year, but I may try again this year.
Kathy :: I can’t believe you have corn already. Ours is only about shin high – and same goes for the farms near us. We’ve still got a long wait ahead for local sweet corn.
Mandy :: It’s memories like that that make a garden worth all the work. Are you growing your own peas now?
Whitney :: thanks!
Dina :: I’m right there with you on the favorite ways to eat them. Our first round took forever to come up since they got snowed on and frozen a few times then got hot sun. But they seem to have persevered quite well.
Rebekah :: I just got lucky that the camera was on the table next to where I was shucking peas. Otherwise I never would have managed to get a shot. I was in a hurry to get them ready to eat!
Maureen :: I throw them to the hens/horses and Jake eats his fair share. I’ve heard of putting them in stock but never tried it myself. Anyone else tried it?
I took 4 sugar snap peas and 3 shelling peas off the vine yesterday. I didn’t plant enough of the plants this year, I planted them too close together, and I mixed the varieties too close so we have trouble picking at the right time. It is my first ever attempt at peas, but at least I have learned a few things. Yours look soooo tasty!
Just out of curiosity, do you know what variety of peas are in the close up photo?