I couldn’t help myself. I was standing next to a woman at the farmers market who had just shoved three huge handfuls of snap peas into a bag. Like a five year old kid, my curiosity got the best of me, and I overcame my innate shyness to ask her. ‘What are you going to do with all of those?’ Of course, she was very nice, maybe even flattered that I had asked her. She said it was the simplest recipe you could think of and they tasted delicious.
First, remove the ends and strings on the peas. Then, simply boil some water, toss in a pinch of salt and then throw in your snap peas. 1 minute, 2 minutes maximum, take them back out. Then toss with a bit of olive oil and a little bit more salt. That’s it. Too easy.
I tried it. She was right. The peas were still slightly crunchy. The oil, salt, and sweetness of the peas blended together perfectly. I could eat them hot as a side dish, or let them chill and eat them cold or in a salad. The true test was passed when my teenage daughter told me she liked them, and that I should, indeed, cook them again!
Now, I was going to add a note about the benefits of planting snap peas in your garden as a nitrogen fixing plant to mix with other vegetables when I stumbled upon this very interesting article. The writer notes that peas, as part of the legume family, do fix nitrogen. However! And it is a big however, their ability to do so is intricately entwined with highly specific bacteria. It does not just happen, willy nilly. Take a look at the article for interesting reading. http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/nitrogen-fixing-bacteria.html
Now, I’ve gone back to ask her where she found this information, as well as sending the question out to a soil scientist I work with. I’m intrigued to see what I learn. But in the meantime. You can’t go wrong planting them. You certainly can’t go wrong eating them. So, make your way to the nearest farmer’s market, or pop seeds in the ground to grow your own. Then take a bite, chew, and enjoy.
