Look in farm shops and markets for fresh garden peas in pods. Most peas in England are frozen within hours of being picked, and you can recycle soft packaging for frozen peas at supermarket bag bins, or buy tinned peas. People in England love peas, with 35,000 hectares grown each year, all harvested within 6 weeks to produce 2 billion portions! Nearly all peas are home-grown, supporting over 700 pea-growing farmers across the UK. Try this veggie pasta (The Edgy Veg) with peas, onions & vegan cheese.
Mash peas for young children. Keep these recipes away from pets due to unsafe ingredients like garlic, onion and spices. Read more on keeping people & pets safe in the kitchen.
Fresh garden peas are in season from early June to late July (petit pois are young shelled peas and mangetout are undeveloped garden peas, picked when pods are still edible). Peas contain vitamins and minerals and more protein than an egg are low in sodium, if you don’t salt the cooking water. Most people in England eat 9000 peas each year!
how to cook garden peas
Steam them to preserve vitamin C, or else just add enough cold water to cover, then boil, cover and simmer for a few minutes. If using in recipes, just add to stews and curries etc, you don’t have to cook them first. Mash peas for young children.
asparagus with peas & artichokes
The word ‘asparagus’ comes from the Greek for ‘asparagos’ which means to ‘sprout’. The spears are hand-picked so it’s not the cheapest of vegetables, but it’s one of the tastiest. To prepare, bend the stalk to snap it then eat the tender top part, and use touch woody parts in soups, stocks and stews. This spring pasta salad (Short Girl, Tall Order) is made with canned artichokes and a basil lemon vinaigrette. You can now buy pastas in plastic-free packaging. Serve with plant-based Parmesan (conventional Parmesan is not even vegetarian, as it contains calf rennet).
creamy mash with peas & carrots
This creamy mash with peas and carrots (Ela Vegan) is made with fresh carrots, peas, sweetcorn, cauliflower, garlic and onions. The creamy sauce is made with oat cream and spiced with pepper, chilli flakes and Dijon mustard. It’s worth investing in a good potato masher, as the difference (just like vegetable peelers) will inspire you to cook homemade, and you’ll never go back. Quality brands use fine grids to mash potatoes with no lumps, and have handles to absorb pressure (good for arthritic hands). Find them in good kitchen stores.
If giving pets an occasional treat, feed plain mash potato (no salt or butter). Never give mashed potato to garden birds or wildlife as it contains salt (and fat could smear on feathers, affecting waterproofing & insulation).
