Peas belong to the vegetable family known as legumes whose plants produce pods with enclosed seeds. Legumes are protein-rich, low fat, nutritional additions to almost any meal and peas are certainly no exception. In fact only lima beans are a better vegetable source of protein than peas; they are sweet, tender and delicious, and so very nutritious. Peas are also a very good source of vitamin K1, which helps maintain strong, healthy bones. These small packages contain big nutritional value, and that's why peas top the list of What's in Season this week at the San Mateo Farmers' Market.
Pick of the week:
o Peas
Also in season:
o Fava beans
o Tomatoes
o Peaches
o Nectarines
o Lettuce
o Strawberries
o Grapes
o Apples
o Melons
o Okra
Tips for selecting, storing, and preparing peas:
o Look for smooth, firm, velvety pods
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o Color should be a lively, medium green
o The pod should contain peas of sufficient size and number to fill most of the pod. Gently shake the pod and listen for a rattling sound.
o Peas are best eaten fresh as soon as possible, or the sugar in them will start turning into starch. If you cannot eat them right away, refrigerate as soon as possible. Store in a bag or unsealed container for several days.
English Peas in Gorgonzola Crumble
Ingredients:
1 pound English peas in their pods (any soft-pod pea will work),
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 cups water
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to season
Cooking instructions:
In a large saute pan, add the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the peas and cook for 4 minutes. Once bright green and tender, strain the peas in a colander and run under cool water to stop from over cooking and retain their bright green color.
Using the same saute pan as before, add the olive oil and place over high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the peas and toss to coat. Briefly heat the peas and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the gorgonzola. Serve warm and enjoy. Serves 4-6.
What's in Season is provided by the College of San Mateo Farmers' Market, which operates year-round, rain or shine, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the College of San Mateo, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd. The market is operated by the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association. For more information, or to find other farmers' markets in the area, visit www.pcfma.com or call (800) 949-FARM.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.