I picked the first of the peas this morning (late because the mice got so many of the early plantings) and I have been waiting for them for just this recipe. Super fast and easy, very low GI, very delicious. Very fresh peas are so sweet, this is almost a sweet paste spread. Besides all the usual legume nutrients, peas are rich in a phytonutrient called coumestrol, which is good for preventing osteoporosis along with several kinds of cancer, and lowering cholesterol at the same time.
(The Breakfast Cereal Challenge is my 2011 challenge – a year’s worth of breakfast recipes based on in-season ingredients, that are quick and easy enough to be a real option for weekdays, and that are preferable, in nutrition, ethics, and taste, to the overpackaged, overpriced, mostly empty packets of junk food marketed as “cereal” .The Muesli Bar Challenge was my 2010 Challenge.)
The Recipe
For three laden slices of toast:
- Pressure cook two-thirds of a cup of fresh, shelled peas in ¼ cup of water with a pinch of salt for just 3 minutes. (Don’t go longer or the water will boil dry and they’ll burn). If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can simmer the peas in a bit more water, in a pot with a tight fitting lid, for about 9 minutes. You should end up with very soft peas and no water.
- Blend the cooked peas with a teaspoon of olive oil and quite a lot of fresh mint – I use about 20 leaves.
- Spread on good wholemeal toast and enjoy.
Only time I’ve had mashed peas is from a cafe on wheels in the city. Something good to try at home when I return to more vegetarianism again. Sweet, fresh peas are not plentiful but shelling peas was often done when I was growing up.
These are not at all like that. If anything, they have echoes of the Asian sweet bean dishes. I quite like shelling peas. It’s one of those meditative jobs.
I like shelling peas too, it’s very relaxing… and kind of exciting too, lovely to see big fat fresh peas in the pod. I’d like to try this recipe – do you think it would work well as a dip?
Yum! We’re just coming to the end of our first lot of peas now, but there’s a new row growing up in another bed. I’ll have to try this recipe with the last of our crop!
We’ve just planted beans – Pete says it’s too hot now to plant any more peas. If I had my way, we’d just have beds full of peas all year round, but nature won’t let me do that.. 😉
Hi Celia, Pete’s right. But I look forward to beans too, specially snake beans lightly cooked so they still have some crunch, in a lemon-balsamic-olive oil- garlic-chili dressing. And Alison, I think it makes a better spread than dip. I tend to like dips to be very highly flavoured, so you get a lot of taste in a little mouthful. This is flavourful but in a more sustaining kind of way – several pieces of loaded toast and you’re still not over it. But it does also work well on a dinner plate too. Kangaroo kebabs with mushy minted peas and roast beetroot.
Linda, you’ll laugh…last night at dinner, I asked Pete if we should plant sugar snap peas. He smiled and said, “Linda says nooo..”. 🙂
Yum. I meant to try making it tonight (we picked peas this afternoon) but I got tired and we just boiled them for a few minutes and we ate them plain. My children love them that way, so who am I to put in extra effort in where it’s not wanted!
It’s only since my kids grew up and left home that I get to cook peas at all, so you are lucky to be able to boil them! For years, every afternoon at school bus time, a gang of kids would arrive to raid the peas. “Pick with two hands, two hands!”