using fresh english peas

luvs

luvs

'lil Chef
i spotted these earlier, & was uncertain on how to use them, except for mushy peas (& these can be easily obtained on 1 of the imported foods aisles, & i've made them very easily myself w/ the peas i'm used to) so i passed on by after some hesitation. they looked similar to other peas, though plumper, & they were pre-shelled, a 'lil less green & w/ a very, very slight sorta grayish hue to them- so if yinz know of interesting ways to use these, i'd much appreciate it!

thanx!
 
I'm not sure what English peas are - we have a number of varities. I would eat one - if really fresh and sweet - they do not need much cooking - In boiling water for a couple of minutes and served with a little butter or a little cooked bacon & onion. The other kinds are cooking peas - good for making things like mushy peas.
 
luvs I bought some fresh English peas at Costco last spring and they had to be removed from their pod. I just warm them in some boiling water for a short time. Remove them from the water put them in a bowl with some butter. S&P being fresh peas, They have little crunch to them and were absolutely delicious. I wish I could find these all the time. You just have to be in the right place at the right time to get them here in Southern California.
 
@ miniman- like that thought. i'll have 1 & follow from there. these said plain 'ol 'english peas'.

guts, these were already shelled, thank goodness. i am not a fan of shelling peas. i'm gonna get some next time i shop. maybe this weekend.
thanks, both of you! either way, seems to me that i'd like them.
 
What are mushy peas? Don't think I've seen shelled, grayish green. Do they come in a can?

Do you like mint? Perhaps you could cook/heat them in butter or chicken broth, add some mint at the end, & a squeeze of fresh lemon juice...
and serve w/ lamb.

http://www.thedragonskitchen.com/2009/09/herb-crusted-saddle-of-lamb-with-minted.html

Here's some info I found at specialty produce:

"Fresh English peas are sweet and tender enough to be eaten raw but may also be prepared cooked. Blanch fresh peas briefly, then drain and process with cilantro, garlic and parmesan into a spread for sandwiches or dip. Blanch and drain fresh peas the mash with a fork, stir in chopped mint and grated pecorino then spread on crostini. Toss fresh peas with baby lettuce, vinagrette, radishes, chopped walnuts and goat cheese for a spring salad. Cook diced onion, potato and peas in vegetable stock, then puree into soup and serve topped with fresh mint. To store, wrap unwashed pea pods in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate. For optimum quality and taste, use English peas within two to three days of purchase. Shelled English peas may be frozen, but they will lose their crisp texture."
 
english peas are just plain ole' "green peas" in most parts of the US.

sugar snap, snap peas, etc.
not snow peas

the 'english' bit exists because there is also a 'french' pea - smaller, usually yellow vs green.

garden fresh peas are a real treat. we boil them for 4-5 minutes so they are still firm.
I have experienced: go pick some peas, put them on the counter for dinner. as time goes by finally get around the shelling them, have to go pick more as the peanut gallery munched half of them raw . . .

I always freeze as many as is left over and a batch of "our garden" peas is a Christmas tradition.
 
You're right on ChowderMan. I had the same experience except that the peanut gallery in my house swiped the ones that I had just shelled. It was the only vegetable that they would willing help me harvest.
 
mushy peas, californiacook, they're an oveseas item- think thick gerber food w/ some texture. one guy i went to school w/ said when he was stationed overseas, they gave him mushy peas when he'd get fish & chips. i know they're usually made w/ marrowfat peas. there's variations on them. & i when i first learned of them, i noticed too many recipes were w/ scallion & mint. i am not a fan of the thought of that combo, so i keep my own easy-peasy & bland. no pun.
i froze 2 lamb lollipops yesterday, & i've not thought of having them w/ peas before. lemon on peas-yum. thanks for the info & advice~

chowderman, leni;
i've dined on fresh peas many a time. be they grocery ones or be they from a garden, these looked different. plumper. that color- not like any fresh pea i've seen before. aw, well, the way to test them is to buy 'em- thanks
 
>>the ones that I had just shelled...

giggle. which is why I don't shell them until I'm ready to cook'em up!

luvs - ref 'plumper' / etc - that could be just the variety - there's got to be a couple hundred different strains / varieties of green peas. color shade and size "when best" does vary.

also . . . the longer they hang on the vine the bigger they get - to the point the pea gets mealy aka "past its prime"
 
I'd fuss at the kids but they just grinned, grabed a handful and ran. I really didn't mind because they were eating their veggies. To be honest I'd eat them out of the shell myself especially if I was at the garden.
 
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