This week bring us our first round of peas! A rather elegant variety, English peas are easy to prepare and don’t require cooking. If you do want to cook ‘em, use like edamame and do not eat the shell.

Here’s a tutorial for super fast shelling. These peas are adorable, bright green and round, so we like to leave as is and add to salads, pop into curry right before serving, mix with mint and olive oil for a simple salad, or throw in a pasta dish (especially with bacon or other cured meat).

If you want to try cooking, we recommend this fun grilling recipe, perfect for outdoor snacking:
Place a handful of peas into a bowl and drizzle olive oil over them. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Toss to coat with oil and salt and arrange peas on the grill so they don’t fall through the grill grates. Grill a few minutes on each side, until peas are well charred. Remove to a bowl and drizzle with a little balsamic/condimento.

Eat like edamame. Plop the pod in your mouth and scrape against the salty, charred surface of the pod to extract the peas. Toss the empty shells.

Peas and mint pair well together. Melt butter, then mix in finely chopped mint and add to peas.

English Peas with Mint
Fresh Pea Salad

 

This Week’s Field Goods Favorite
Asparagus

Wonder what it means to “snap the woody ends” of asparagus? While the tip and upper portion of asparagus are tender, the stalks become increasingly fibrous toward the bottom. To snap the “woody ends”, bend the stalk near the bottom and snap in two. If it is difficult to snap, move up the stalk until you find the natural break between the tender and tough portions. Save the woody ends for stock.

Asparagus Tapenade
Basic Roasted Asparagus
Slow Butter-Braised Asparagus
Asparagus Pesto