Shelling Peas
There’s something therapeutic for me about shelling peas. I’m not really sure why; it’s not something I ever did as a kid. Maybe because in my mind it harkens back to some kind of idyllic childhood, or maybe it’s just because it gives me a more personal connection to my food. When you buy frozen peas, or peas that have already been shelled, it means that more people have handled them, and there has been more time between picking and eating than if you just get the pods.
So I picked up a bunch of pea pods at the Prospect Park Farmer’s Market this past weekend. Not with any recipe in mind, but the image of me shelling peas compelling me. Strange reason maybe, but I was looking forward to it. And sure enough, the next day i set up at my kitchen’s new* butcher block ready to shell some peas. One of the best things about shelling peas is that you don’t need any special equipment, just your hands.
Once I’d harvested my bowl full of peas I realized I wasn’t really sure what to do with them. I was pretty hungry, and simply boiling the peas wouldn’t really be filling (though I’m sure it would be tasty). I decided to fall back on pasta, and old standby which is simple and usually delicious. I had about a dozen fresh cherry tomatoes as well, and some scallions, all from the Farmer’s Market. That’s all it took to make a great meal.
In a pan I added some fresh peas (not blanched at all) to some hot olive oil and chile flakes, and let them cook while I boiled some salted water for the pasta. As the linguine went into the water, I added the tomatoes to the peas, having first sliced the tomatoes lengthwise. I seasoned them with salt and pepper, then added some rough chopped scallion and let it all soften. When the pasta was just about ready I added it to the pan with the peas along with a little pasta water and cooked it for about a minute like that. To finish I splashed a little more olive oil on top and then grated a ton of Parmesan cheese over the top.
*Used, but new to me.
Posted by Howard
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