The annual world peas post

Peas are an annual subject here because they're seasonal, nutritious, colorful and tasty. While we're honoring the Founding Fathers this week, we can remember Thomas Jefferson as the father of the garden peas we are talking about. Ever notice they are sometimes called English peas or garden peas or shelling peas? That's because some British botanists were determined to turn the Indian dal pea into something Brits might eat. Jefferson continued their efforts at Monticello and we reap the rewards late every spring and early summer. 

I have many times posted a recipe for fresh pea "hummus": a yummy paté of fresh peas with scallions, mint and ricotta--last time being this Spring.
I have also posted a recipe for the traditional Spring Italian favorite: risi e pisi, rice and peas, which depending on who you ask is a risotto or a soup. If you can't backtrack to mine, you can find recipes for this many places.
In my book, Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking, I included the very Brit nursery recipe for smashed peas, essentially peas mashed with butter.
And a few weeks back I posted a delectable summer salad of peas, shrimp and pasta with pesto dressing. 

Frankly I posted the following two recipes for the first time back in late winter, early Spring but they're worth repeating here while we're focusing on the glory of fresh peas. So...
Pea fritters

I put this in my fritter away post because it was so unusual to come upon a recipe using peas for these treats. They were well worth the fuss. Delightful eating warm or room temperature which means at a picnic or on a boat. 

18 ounces fresh green peas

4 1/2 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese

3 large eggs, beaten

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, and lemon wedges for serving (cut after zesting)

3/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Optional: 1 tablespoons Israeli za'atar

1/2 tsp mild chili like Aleppo pepper or chipotle

2/3 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup packed mint leaves, finely chopped

7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

About 3 1/3 cups corn or safflower oil, for frying

Smash the peas in a food processor so they are coarsely crushed. Put them in a large a mixing bowl. Stir in the ricotta, eggs, lemon zest, salt, a good grind of pepper, optionally the za'atar, ground chili, flour and baking powder. Mixing until they are blended. Gently fold in the mint and feta.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Line a plate with paper towels.

With a large flattish spoon, make large balls you flatten into patties or make patties about 2” wide. Fry as many as fit in one layer in the pan 3 to 4 minutes, then with tongs, turn them and brown evenly. Use a slotted spatula to transfer them to the lined plate while you cook the remaining batch.

Serve warm, with lemon wedges and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Sicilian braised fish with peas
This was another new keeper, a thick white fish braised with tomatoes and then smothered in fresh peas. That's color and flavor to the max. It's also light on calories and high on nutrients so why not repeat it. (I can't find my photo and will post when I do.)
serves 4

2 lbs thick firm flesh fish like swordfish, tuna, etc.in four fillets
2 tbsp unbleached white flour
4-5 tbsp olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan) 
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lg garlic clove, smashed and minced
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 
1/2 c white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)
4 med/lg tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (11 oz from can or box is okay)\
2 lbs fresh green peas in pods, shelled into 1 c peas 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Roll the fish in the flour to lightly coat. In an enameled lidded casserole, heat the olive oil (enough to coat the bottom) over med heat. Add the floured fish fillets and brown on both sides. When you turn them, toss in the parsley and garlic. Once both sides are browned, add wine vinegar and cook over low heat until it's just about evaporated. Add the tomatoes and pinch of chili flakes, bring to a low boil, reduce heat and cook 5 min. Add the peas with salt and pepper to your taste. Cover the casserole and cook on low 30 minutes. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
 
And so to fresh ideas for fresh peas:
Ping Sha

not my photo just best I could find

This is a traditional Tibetan recipe of meat with long noodles (ping means glass noodle and sha means meat) but here in the West and in India, the Tibetans have taken to adding fresh peas in the final minutes. It is also a Chinese dish with mushrooms added instead of peas.

Serves 4

 2 oz. bean thread noodles (glass vermicelli)

1 lb. stew or grilling beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 lg. onion, peeled

2 tbsp. ginger/garlic paste

1 tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. crushed Szechuan pepper

1 lg. tomato

½ cup freshly shelled peas

4 boiling potatoes, peeled

2 tbsp. cooking oil (corn, canola, mustard, safflower)

Heat the oil in a medium casserole.  Over medium heat sauté the ginger/garlic paste and the onion until the onion is translucent.  Add the chili powder, Szechuan pepper and the beef and blend. Stir fry two-three minutes to brown the meat on all sides.

Chop the tomato and add along with two cups of water or enough to cover everything. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Put the Asian noodles in a large bowl and totally cover them with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes. They will expand. Cook vermicelli according to package directions. Drain. Cut with a scissors two or three times to make them easier to handle.

Slice the potatoes into thin disks or cut them into bite-sized chunks. Add to the stew and continue to cook another 5 minutes. Add the peas and salt, stirring to blend. Add another cup of water if necessary to have everything just covered. Simmer five minutes.

 Stir in the noodles. Heat through. They will soak up the sauce.  Serve.

Nepali vegetable curry

In earlier pea posts I've included the traditional Indian dish aloo muttar, potatoes with peas. The Nepalese put a bunch of vegetables together into one very tasty dish.
 

serves 4-5

6 small (new) or 3 medium potatoes (not bakers)

1/3 cauliflower

2 onions, peeled

½ lg. carrot or daikon, peeled

1 japanese or small italian eggplant

1 green chili

3 roma tomatoes

1 cup freshly shelled peas

3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

1” fresh ginger, grated

½ tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. coriander seed

2 tsp. cumin seed

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

3 tbsp. cooking oil or ghiu/ghee

¼ bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only

1 cup water

Coarsely chop the onion and tomatoes separately. Finely chop the chili, leaving seeds in. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized cubes. Slice the carrot or daikon and eggplant into thin disks. Cut the cauliflower into small florets.

In a medium saucepan or casserole, heat the oil or ghee. Fry the onion until it’s soft and golden. Add the cumin and coriander seed, chili, garlic, ginger and turmeric, stirring to combine. Add potatoes and stir fry until they are slightly brown.  Add all remaining ingredients except the cilantro leaves. Cover and simmer on low until all vegetables are tender—10-12 minutes.

Chop the cilantro leaves and put on top to serve.

Green pea and broccoli soup with fresh mint
 This is from the London cooking sensation Yotam Ottolenghi with some fiddling by me so it's not exactly his recipe.

Serves 4
1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

1 onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3” fresh ginger (2 tbsp), peeled and grated
10 oz green peas

10 oz fresh broccoli, stalks included, roughly chopped

2 c vegetable broth

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can coconut milk

1 bunch fresh mint leaves

To serve
toasted pumpkin seeds
fresh mint leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
toasted sourdough garlic bread

Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a med/low heat. Roughly chop the onion and garlic, add them to the pan with ginger and sauté 10 minutes or until the onion begins to soften. Add peas and broccoli and sauté 5 minutes. Add the broth and season to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally so the soup doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut milk and most of the mint, saving some leaves for garnish. Using an immersion (hand) blender or food processor, blend into a smooth soup.

Serve topped with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, mint, and a drizzle of oil. Have toasted garlic bread on the side.