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Michigan Peas

By Carolyn Kelly

The darlings of the stir-fry, sweet crunchy sugar snap peas, have entered the farmers markets and some local stores.

And wouldn't you know it, we found a recipe that combines peas with the sweet, juicy strawberries that are expected to be around now for only about another week ó about a week less than normal, because of the hot weather.

Finally, fear not: The region's signature crop, cherries, will ripen in time for Traverse City's National Cherry Festival, which starts July 2. But more about that next week!

Did you know?

Peas are a member of the legume family.
All peas are protein rich, and they're a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, folate, iron and phosphorus.
Sugar Snap Peas are a cross between snow peas and English (regular) peas. The entire pea is edible, including the pod.
Peas date back to 3000 B.C., but today's garden peas were not common until the 18th century. Toward the end of the 17th century they were still such a rare delicacy that fantastic prices were sometimes paid for them in France, according to www.foodtimeline.org , a food history Web site.

Find it!

Michigan pea farms from the Taste the Local Difference Farm Network
Also see Absolute Michigan keyword "Pea"
It's a good bet that many farms that say they sell "summer," "garden," or "a full line of" vegetables in the Michigan Land Use Institute's online guide to local farm foods include at least some peas. And it's a sure bet at the six farms that specifically list peas. The guide, at www.LocalDifference.org , lists farms from Manistee County to the Mackinac Bridge.

Peas by Lariffic

Try it!

Don't overcook peas! Boil them for only about two minutes in salted water, or stir-fry them for two to five minutes until they just start to soften. They're done when they're a vivid green.
Try this interesting recipe that combines peas with another locally available product, radishes, from cooking diva Martha Stewart: Sautee 3/4 pound trimmed sugar snap peas with eight scallions, sliced; and eight radishes, trimmed and quartered. She stir-fries the peas in a tablespoon of butter for about three minutes, and then adds the scallions and radishes for another minute or so, until tender. Add coarse salt and pepper to taste.
Peas also lend themselves well to Asian flavors. The Web site Epicurious.com suggests stir-frying 3/4 pound of trimmed peas with two thinly sliced shallots, one tablespoon finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger and one garlic clove, finely chopped. Try adding locally available shiitake mushrooms for even more flavor.
Good seasonings for peas include mint, curry powder, sesame seed, and lemon.
And we found a couple recipes that combined peas with strawberries! Here's one from www.recipezaar.com, which lifted it from a mystery series (about a caterer who solves murder mysteries) by Diane Mott Davidson: Make a raspberry vinaigrette with 2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Steam 1/4 pound peas for about 30 seconds or until bright green and crunchy, and then cool in cold water. Toss the drained peas and thickly sliced strawberries (about four cups) in the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Organic Gardening Tips has helpful information about growing peas.
Peas are yummy and beautiful. Read about the flowering side of them at GardenGuides.com

Sweet by Mafleen

Diane Conners coordinates the Michigan Land Use Institute's Taste the Local Difference campaign. The project's Web sit, which features a searchable guide to farms selling direct to consumers in northwest Lower Michigan, is at www.LocalDifference.com