This week, my foodspiration has been the humble pea. Whether you like garden peas or big marrowfat peas, you’re ok by me. My only issue with peas comes with tinned peas. I mean, just WHY!? They’re strange coloured and taste of sadness and failure.
Since doing a pregnant has had me craving sweet things, I have managed to convince my brain that peas are just as sweet as skittles, to prevent me from eating a diet of exclusively rainbow coloured things.
Step one: The Salad
I know I raved about goats cheese in my last blog, but I’m going to continue to do so now so bear with me. Warm potato salads are lovely, and I like to mix peas, fine beans and potatoes with a warm dressing of goats cheese whipped with creme fraiche, lemon juice and chives and it’s absolutely delicious and melty. Mmmmm.
Step two: The indulgent snack
I do love a nice dip (for examples of spectacular dips, this Everything Goes With Toast album might be of interest) and Poicamole is one of my more genius creations. It has a hummus-like texture with sweet notes of pea, mint and almond and savoury notes of parmesan. Once I’ve knocked this up I literally cannot stop eating it but it’s relatively healthy as dips go thank goodness!
Step three: The Soup
The concept of avocado in soup sounds very very wrong, but the reality is that a more velvety texture simply cannot be achieved without potatoes. Marrowfat peas and avocado are absolutely lovely together and this incredibly quick, simply soup is utterly delicious.
Step four: The side dish
I racked my brains to try to think what to suggest other than literally peas… because peas are already a side dish.
As a vegetarian I don’t hold with the whole “meat and two veg” thing, but if you do, then switch the potatoes for a pea and mint rice salad to get your fix of carbs and vegetables. It’s light in flavour but suitably filling.
Step five: The Pasta
The name of this never fails to make me smile. My married name is Mease and my long-suffering husband has been long referred to as Squeeze Cheesy Peas by his friends. I had considered naming this Macaroni Mease after him, but balls to him – Macaroni peas it is and very good it is too.
Step six: The pudding
Oh look, something shiny! *runs away*
Seriously… even I’m not mad enough to put peas in a pudding. Though I might experiment with a pea and mint sorbet! Mmmmmm
So there you have it. How to be innovative with peas in six five stages! If you want to try more pea recipes, go to Everything Goes With Toast.