The
fresh peas are ready to harvest. They are my special excitement for this week.
They are crazily romping up the bamboo teepee in the greenhouse.
Have you ever had the opportunity to pluck peas straight off the vine, Magic…
I’ve always taken this for granted but now realise that many have never seen
peas in anything but a plastic bag in the freezer.
Never had the joy of opening a pea pod and popping the sweet juicy peas
straight into ones mouth.
Eating freshly picked peas directly from the pod is one of life’s greatest
pleasures.
No
idea how to open a pea pod? You’re not the only one, I’ve seen folks go at
them with a knife and fork!
I love to put a bowl of freshly picked peas on the table for guests to eat raw
and open themselves, you can’t imagine the thrill and excitement. For
some, it’s a joyful trip down memory lane, for others it’s a new
adventure, a new mind blowing discovery.
We sow the first crop with the students at the end of January. They take over
four months to grow and be ripe enough to harvest so they don’t get to eat them,
but the summer students have the pleasure. There’s still time to sow another
batch, they should be ready to harvest by the end of August
One can start to pick them as soon as the pods begin to form at the ‘mange
tout’ stage. Enjoy warm or plunge them into cold water to add to salads.
Cook fresh peas in boiling salted water, drain, taste and don’t hesitate to add a generous pinch of sugar if necessary, particularly if they are not freshly picked, the fresher they are, the sweeter the taste. And of course, a blob of butter or a generous glug of extra-virgin olive oil for extra deliciousness.
Once again children are intrigued that peas come from the garden not from a packet on the freezer aisle in the supermarket. We look forward all year to seeing our grandchildren running up and down the rows of peas with their friends, carefully picking so they don’t damage the vine. We have so many favourite pea recipes, and several delicious pea soups.
This pea and coriander soup can be served hot or chilled in the summer. It also freezes as well and it’s super quick to make.
Top Tip.
You
can actually use best quality frozen peas if you haven’t got fresh ones.
Peas chargrilled in the pod are also delicious. One can do the same with broad
beans in their pods. Madhur Jaffrey shared this recipe for green peas and
coconut with us, delicious on its own, but we love it served with a butterflied
leg of lamb as she did.
For a special treat, try this lobster recipe, a legacy from my lovely friend Skye Gyngell who passed away earlier this year. A much loved beautiful generous cook whom we all miss so much but she lives on in her recipes.
Pea, Chilli and Coriander Soup
This utterly delicious soup has a perky zing with the addition of fresh chilli.
Serves 6 approximately
Ingredients
900ml homemade chicken stock
450g peas (good quality frozen are fine)
50g butter (or use 2 tbsp of sunflower oil)
150g onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp approx. chopped fresh coriander
salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar
Garnish
softly whipped cream
fresh coriander leaves
Method
Bring the chicken stock to the boil.
Melt the butter on a gentle heat add the onion, garlic and chilli. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and sweat for 3-4 minutes. Cover with the hot stock. Bring to the boil with the lid off, add the peas and cook for 3-4 minutes approximately or until the peas are just tender. Add the coriander and liquidise. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of sugar, which enhances the flavour even further. Serve with a swirl of softly whipped cream and a few fresh coriander leaves sprinkled over the top.
Note – Serving Suggestion
Pea Soup
To serve, put a few fresh peas and pea shoots into a wide soup bowl. Put the soup in a jug – each guest pours soup into the bowl themselves.
Variation
Pea and Bacon Soup
Add a few tiny crispy lardons of bacon to the peas.
Chilled Pea and Coriander Soup
This soup is also good chilled but be particularly careful not to overcook. The texture should be smooth and silky, the consistency should be thin so add a little more stock if necessary.
N.B.
cold soups should be served in small, chilled bowls.
Skye Gyngell’s Lobster with Peas, Fennel and Verjus Dressing
A gorgeous combination from lovely Skye, a special treat. We remember her so fondly.
Serves 2 as a main course and 4 as a starter
Ingredients
2 very fresh live lobsters (each weighing approximately 500g
1 fennel bulb
the juice of ½ lemon
a handful of peas
mild tasting extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a small handful of any lovely young lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
1 medium bunch of chervil, leaves only
1 small bunch of purple basil, leaves only
For the Dressing
1 small organic free-range egg yolk
3/4 tsp honey
1 tbsp verjus
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
a pinch of salt
100ml mild tasting extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp crème fraîche
Method
Start by making the dressing.
Place the egg yolk, honey, verjus, mustard and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Very slowly drizzle and whisk continously until emulsified. It is exactly the same process as for making mayonnaise. Once the oil is incorporated, you will have a thick emulsified sauce. Add the crème fraîche and stir well to combine. The dressing should just drop from a spoon – if it is a little too thick simply add a tablespoon or so of water (at room temp). taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside while you cook the lobster.
Place a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. It should be almost as salty as the sea. When it has reached a rolling boil, drop in the lobsters and cook for 8 minutes exactly (this is important as overcooked lobster meat is not good!). Remove with a pair of tongs and set aside until cool enough to handle.
To remove the meat from the shell first twist off the claws and tap the thickest part of these with a rolling pin to crack them open. Gently remove the claw shell leaving the flesh intact if possible and reserve. Now lay the body on its back on a board and using a very sharp large knife cut through the middle of the soft underbelly to slice the tail meat in half lengthways. You should then be able to remove the outer shell easily (it’s a bit like taking off a coat). Season the flesh with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Remove the tough outer leaves of the fennel bulb, then cut in half lengthways, and slice as finely as possible. Squeeze over a little lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
Pod the peas. Place on a pot of water to boil. Season generously with salt. Once the water has boiled add the peas and cook for approximately 2 minutes, drain and drizzle with a little olive oil.
To assemble the dish.
Place the peas and fennel in a bowl and dress with a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Toss together lightly with your fingers to dress the vegetables. Add the lobster meat, lettuce leaves, chervil and basil and toss once more.
Arrange prettily on a plate and spoon some verjus dressing over the top. Serve the excess dressing in a bowl on the side. Serve at once.
Green Peas with Coconut and Coriander
Madhur Jaffrey shared this recipe with us when she taught a class here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in 2001. Delicious on its own or as a side with a roast shoulder of lamb or pork.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
a generous pinch of ground asafoetida (optional)
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
15 fresh curry leaves
285g shelled fresh or defrosted frozen peas
1-2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
75g freshly grated coconut
3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh coriander
Method
Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafoetida and, a second later, the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop – a matter of seconds – put in the curry leaves. Stir for a second, then put in the peas, chillies, salt, sugar, turmeric, ground cumin and ground coriander. Stir for 1 minute or until the peas turn bright green. Add 4 tablespoons of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the peas are tender. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the coconut and fresh coriander. Stir, boiling away any extra water. Serve.