Food Challenge: Peas
In high school, I played tennis for a small rural town in Montana. Our season was limited to spring, which often required us to chance the weather. I remember many cold evenings coming home from practice chilled to the bone. Mom would always be waiting with hot split pea soup and warm grilled cheese sandwiches. A comfort meal I still resort to on a cold or rainy day.
At the time I didn’t give this much thought. I now understand why my mother wisely chose to serve this homemade favorite.
Peas require a cool, damp climate for full harvest. This restricts them to a very specialized season. So while you can consume them year round — frozen or canned — April and May is when you will find them fresh in your local produce aisle, making them a hot commodity for a very limited time.
As you go to the market over the next several weeks, keep you eye out for fresh peas. Enjoy them as a side dish to any main course, mix them into a stir-fry or pasta, or puree them into a delicious soup. Now is your chance to enjoy their sweet, crisp taste at peak perfection.
Easy Side Dish
InDependent Original
Perfect side dish paired with salmon fillets.
Ingredients
1 TBS coconut oil
1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1½ cups shelled peas
Heat oil until liquefied.
Sauté onion in oil until translucent.
Add chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant (about 1 min).
Add peas.
Sauté mixture for 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve warm as a side dish.