Peas are one of the few crops that I grow that probably aren’t worth the effort as you can buy them frozen for low cost. However, we love them as snacks fresh off the plant, or uncooked in salads. We also utilise the pods to make them a more worth while crop to grow. I slice them in stir fry, chop up and add to stews, and today had enough to make a pea pod and mint soup.
We waste very little in our house as our food budget is so low. We only have £750 a year to spend. I therefore have to grow and forage a lot of our food. Making meals out of things that other people would throw away is one way that helps us stick to our budget. Shelling peas brings backs lots of happy memories for me from before the time of frozen peas. I remember sitting in the scullery with my grandma popping peas into my my mouth as I worked at a table with a checked oil skin on, or later sitting on the step with my mum. We would get a big heap of pods wrapped in newspaper from the lorry that used to come down our street selling vegetables. We were lucky as we had lots of market gardens nearby. Unfortunaately those fields are all housing estates now.
Ingredients.
4 cups of pea pods. You can add peas as part of it if you want.
1 onion
A medium sized potato
A handful of fresh mint leaves (a tsp of dried will do instead)
1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock.
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Butter or oil for frying
Method
1. Wash the pea pods and cut off any end bits that are woody.
2. Cube the potato (small), and chop up the pea pods.
3. In a large pan, melt the butter (or heat oil) and saute the onions and potatoes together until the onion is translutant and the potato soft, (5 mins). I had to add a bit of water after a few minutes.
4. Add the sliced pea pods and cook a couple of minutes before adding the stock.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. I only needed white pepper.
6. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
7. Add the finely chopped mint. Simmer 3 minutes more. If you want it to have a greener appearance, you could add a couple of handfuls of peas at this stage. I had used fresh chicken stock and so mine had a browner tinge this time.
8. Blend and pour through a strainer or sieve into a clean bowl or large jug. I used the back of a spoon and pushed it through.
9. I ate some of mine at this stage but if you want a posh soup you can add some cream whilst reheating in a clean pan.
Mine made just over a pint of soup. Store any left overs in the fridge. This can be eaten hot or cold. I had mine cold, straight from the fridge as it was so refreshing during the heat wave.
