"We have our first dish of peas. The aisles of bean plants grow tall and the green walls are full of bulging pods. Annie says she will pick the peas for dinner, but we rush to the garden to do it ourselves, excited at the start of yet another harvest. Compared with the gathering of strawberries, pea-picking is intricate but undramatic. There is no sudden glow of crimson, no soft warmth of fruit. It is a world of shapes, pea being undistinguishable from leaf only by reason of its bulk and form. We pick by feeling rather than by sight. The pea plant is a gentle green, deep and soft against the pale colour of the lettuces that shelter from the sun in the shade of the pea rows. Our baskets are full of hard, rattling pods, we pull lettuces for salad. It is good to feed oneself from one's own earth (Clare Leighton)
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| Feltham First and Hurst Greenshaft peas |
This morning I picked my first peas of the season. They have been slow in coming and haven't grown as tall as I would have liked - but at least I have a harvest.
If only a small amount of peas is available, I use them braised in the French way with some shredded lettuce leaves, finely chopped carrot and spring onion. But they could be used with cucumber and mint cooked in water for a few minutes, seasoned and a little sugar added.
I expect I will get only a few servings from the small row and the container peas but I will try to pick them regularly to keep the pods coming - if they are allowed to mature this stops the plants producing.
At the end of the season I like to leave a few on the plants to harden off so that I can use them for next years' seed. I could just wait for the pods to dry, crack open and let the peas fall where they may - but I usually collect them and store them in jam jars ready for the next pea-planting season.
If I had enough room I would successive-sow pea rows in order to get fresh peas through the summer, but in a smallish garden this would take up too much room so I have to make the most of my one row and two different types of pea which will stagger the harvest.
As you can see from these pictures I found on Pinterest - peas are eminently photographable - they make my mouth water just to look at them.
I envy you these gorgeous peas the slugs had nearly all mine on the plot this so called summer
ReplyDeleteCouldn't you plant a late row David - there's still time
DeleteI think your right Elaine, I will, I certainly have nothing to lose
DeleteI hope you are more successful this time - fingers crossed.
DeleteThey would please me too Elaine if only they would hurry up and grow. You may not have many but that is more than we have at the moment!
ReplyDeleteEverything is a bit behind this year - I expect they will grow soon enough
DeleteI don't grow peas. I buy frozen or tins. There just ain't enough room!
ReplyDeleteFor 10 months of the year I have to make do with frozen too which makes me look forward all the more to fresh ones - but I agree they do take up a lot of room for what you get out of them.
DeleteAh, so those are not your photos of your peas? I'm disappointed now! I'm in a very similar position to you - I can never grow enough of the things. This year the Purple-podded Desiree peas have grown very big, and have lots of pods, so I'm hoping to have a bigger harvest than usual - though it will still be too samll for my liking!
ReplyDeleteThe first photo is mine Mark - I just couldn't resist the others - sounds like I'm going to have to try the purple-podded ones as well next year
DeleteThey look so delicious! I love shelling peas. :o) I think your climate in more conducive to growing peas than mine but my purple carrots are coming along well.
ReplyDeleteI agree about shelling peas - there is something therapeutic about it. I have never grown purple carrots - do they keep their colour when cooked?
DeleteOne year I'll grow some peas! Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteYou should - if you can find room - you can't beat them for taste.
DeleteMy Granddad used to grow loads on his allotment and they were so sweet eaten raw :) I've always stuck to mangetouts but might give them a go next year. xx
ReplyDeleteI knew a man who devoted the whole of his allotment to growing peas - I personally prefer them to mange tout but everyone's taste is different. I once made pea pod soup because I thought it was so wasteful throwing all the pods away - it tasted just like pea soup but was a little stringey.
DeleteReminds me of the pea pod Burgandy on The Good Life!
DeleteHeehee - saw a re-run the other night and it has only just struck me why it is called the good life - because they are called Tom and Barbara Good. All these years I have been watching it and I never twigged. Duh!
DeletePeas are one of my favourite vegetables to grow - the flavour of freshly picked peas is just so good. Hope yours tasted as good as they look!
ReplyDeleteWe had them tonight with our own Anya new potatoes and a fillet of sea bream - I don't need to tell you how delicious they were.
DeleteWhat a lovely blog about Peas,Elaine.
ReplyDeleteI had peas in the old hothouse earlier, I picked them young and got a good crop. Now I am waiting for my outdoor crop,and they are podding up and nearly ready. There is nothing like that first burst of sweetness when biting into the peas :)
Every year I say I'm not going to bother with them but every year I grow them - I just can't resist - I love them raw or cooked - and I don't care what anyone says - they do taste different from frozen peas.
DeleteLovely photos! I have pea envy. We have never had much success with peas in our garden.
ReplyDeleteI always start mine off in pots in the greenhouse - they seem to have more of a chance of surviving when the plants are a bit stronger.
DeleteI didnt get round to planting any this year.I fully intended to as they are just so delicious but never found time.
ReplyDeleteI love your photo, it's a great photo. Great tip about hardening off the peas. Thanks Elaine. x
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments - are you growing any this year?
DeleteIt is a problem finding time to do everything Anne - or remember to do everything - you could still sow some seed if you are really keen.
ReplyDeleteI love peas but alas the deer at my pea plants. I am going to try and grow some in containers for a late season crop.
ReplyDeleteMy container peas did really well Mary - if not better than the ones grown in open ground.
DeleteI hope you enjoy your peas. There's something special about the taste of freshly picked peas. Which reminds me I must pick some tomorrow for freezing and tea-time.
ReplyDeleteWe had some last night and they were as delicious as expected - doubt if there will be enough for freezing though.
DeleteHad freshly picked peas with lettuce and mangetout as part of our salad tea tonight...
ReplyDeletefresh picked peas such a treat, I planted five wigwams of them and hope i have planted enough to freeze enough to last us the year, love peas!
I have never had enough peas left over to freeze as I only grow one row and they all get eaten as I harvest.
DeleteFrugal Living UK has left a new comment on your post "Peas Please Me oh yeah":
ReplyDeleteI love peas, in all forms. Mine are a bit behind, but some of them have flowers on sof OjM "ot too long. I have also have a basket of peas that I have grown just for the pea shoots (an idea from a book) and these are coming on nicely. When I don't have many I tend to just throw those I do have into a salad, each pea I gets is wonderful.
I managed enough of a pea harvest last year to freeze some too, same with the mange tout. This year, neither seem to be getting going. I've sown more of each to see if a later sowing will produce better results.
ReplyDeleteIf I can find some room somewhere I would like to plant another row - maybe when I've dug up all the potatoes.
DeleteLovely Elaine,
ReplyDeleteI cannot tell you how that post made me smile.
Took me back to picking peas with my Grandfather.....
I love shucking peas. I love eating peas, with mint and melted butter. I LOVE PEAS :-)
Love visiting your lovely vegetable plot.
Glad you enjoyed the post Cheryl - I think most people have happy memories of shelling peas - I wonder why that is?
DeleteI come bearing gifts ...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tidygardensbyjane.co.uk/2012/06/pour-moi.html
Jane you are a star - I don't know what I've done to deserve it but I thank you very much. I will do a post when I have a bit more time. Thank you once again.
DeleteThanks for sharing, Elaine. The peas sound delicious and the images are lovely. I've never grown peas. The extent of my vegetable crop this year are tomatoes and jalapeno peppers, but now I want to try growing peas. Happy gardening! :-)
ReplyDeleteWell worthwhile growing Beth - as with all home grown veg - the taste is superior to shop bought.
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