I grew up on Maryland's Eastern Shore at a time when most mothers cooked green vegetables in an aluminum saucepan until they were grey and mushy. And my father wouldn't eat anything with onions; garlic would have sent him out of the house. So my need to expand those horizons may be one factor in my love of food. When I was free of all that, I wanted to experiment.
But one thing Mom did really right was fresh peas and new potatoes. Now, I agree with Ina Garten who says that shelling fresh peas is a waste of good gourmet time and you might as well buy frozen ones. They're just as good. Well, Ina, not quite. I remember when Dad had a vegetable garden on our lot across the street from our house and my grandmother and I would often "pull" the peas from the vines and shell peas in big bowls on our laps right away on the front porch. They'd go from there right to the saucepan and Mom knew how to cook them so that they retained their sweetness. Dad also grew potatoes and we'd dig a few new ones, small and succulent and Mom would pair them with the peas.
If not for the man from Greensboro (where my mother grew up) who sells fresh shucked peas and beans (and strawberries) at the farmers' market, I wouldn't fool with this, but yesterday I bought some peas from him and some new potatoes just down from his row of stalls. I needed to cook the peas as soon as possible since the longer they're exposed from the pods, the faster they lose their sweetness. So if you want to try this, start with Mr. Greensboro's fresh peas and cook them right away.
I cooked the potatoes first, in enough water to cover them. They were smaller than a golf ball so I left them whole and they cooked quickly, in maybe 15 minutes at the most. I think next time I might cut them in half so they'd cook even faster. You can check for doneness by poking them with a paring knife, or better yet, with an eating fork. When the knife (or fork) goes in and comes out easily, they're done. Be careful not to overcook them or they'll become mushy.
I flopped the peas in another saucepan and just barely covered them with cold water. If they'd been frozen, I'd have used chicken broth instead of water but in this case, I wanted to preserve the real flavor of the peas. When the water came to a boil (very quickly), I cooked the peas for only about 3-4 minutes - you can actually eat them raw - so they wouldn't fall apart.
When the potatoes and peas were done, I drained them both and then mixed them together with a little butter - you could use Olivo if you're picky - and some cream, maybe just one tablespoonful. Eat them right away. The combination is memorable. And with fresh strawberries, they made my dinner.
An old, and successful, Eastern Shore tradition. But only with fresh peas, please. And fresh new potatoes. Do it now. These ingredients are now at their peak and won't last much longer.
But one thing Mom did really right was fresh peas and new potatoes. Now, I agree with Ina Garten who says that shelling fresh peas is a waste of good gourmet time and you might as well buy frozen ones. They're just as good. Well, Ina, not quite. I remember when Dad had a vegetable garden on our lot across the street from our house and my grandmother and I would often "pull" the peas from the vines and shell peas in big bowls on our laps right away on the front porch. They'd go from there right to the saucepan and Mom knew how to cook them so that they retained their sweetness. Dad also grew potatoes and we'd dig a few new ones, small and succulent and Mom would pair them with the peas.
If not for the man from Greensboro (where my mother grew up) who sells fresh shucked peas and beans (and strawberries) at the farmers' market, I wouldn't fool with this, but yesterday I bought some peas from him and some new potatoes just down from his row of stalls. I needed to cook the peas as soon as possible since the longer they're exposed from the pods, the faster they lose their sweetness. So if you want to try this, start with Mr. Greensboro's fresh peas and cook them right away.
FRESH PEAS AND NEW POTATOES
I cooked the potatoes first, in enough water to cover them. They were smaller than a golf ball so I left them whole and they cooked quickly, in maybe 15 minutes at the most. I think next time I might cut them in half so they'd cook even faster. You can check for doneness by poking them with a paring knife, or better yet, with an eating fork. When the knife (or fork) goes in and comes out easily, they're done. Be careful not to overcook them or they'll become mushy.
I flopped the peas in another saucepan and just barely covered them with cold water. If they'd been frozen, I'd have used chicken broth instead of water but in this case, I wanted to preserve the real flavor of the peas. When the water came to a boil (very quickly), I cooked the peas for only about 3-4 minutes - you can actually eat them raw - so they wouldn't fall apart.
When the potatoes and peas were done, I drained them both and then mixed them together with a little butter - you could use Olivo if you're picky - and some cream, maybe just one tablespoonful. Eat them right away. The combination is memorable. And with fresh strawberries, they made my dinner.
An old, and successful, Eastern Shore tradition. But only with fresh peas, please. And fresh new potatoes. Do it now. These ingredients are now at their peak and won't last much longer.
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