Give peas a chance
It would be easy to think of peas as being a year-round vegetable - after all, they're always available in the frozen section of supermarkets. But fresh peas - usually called garden peas or English peas - have quite a limited season and they're being sold now in a few supermarkets.
Garden peas are one of the few vegetables that are almost as good in their frozen state as fresh, especially if you buy the ones marked as petits pois, which are smaller, sweeter and more tender. Until last year, I had never eaten freshly shelled peas and they weren't what I expected - the taste was brighter, greener, more vegetal and intense. They had been plucked from their vines only minutes before being shelled and cooked.
Garden peas are also available canned but they're khaki green and overcooked. Some people rave about them, though.
The simplest way to cook garden peas is to boil and drain them before adding butter, salt and pepper. In the classic dish of petits pois ? la Francaise they're cooked with lettuce, small onions and fresh herbs such as tarragon or mint. I like to simmer peas in cream with a little garlic, small chunks of pancetta and black pepper, then add freshly grated parmesan cheese just before serving. These peas can be eaten on their own, or for a heartier dish, mix them with al dente spaghetti.
For a summer dish, I mix equal quantities of lentils (preferably red ones, for colour contrast) with petits pois - cooked separately until tender. Drain the lentils and peas, then place them in a bowl and while they're still warm, add whole roasted garlic cloves, a little curry powder (toasted in an unoiled pan until fragrant), olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon and orange juice and salt and pepper to taste. Let the lentils and peas cool to lukewarm, then mix in some labna (drained yogurt) or Greek yogurt.
