Here on the mountain it’s been a chilly, wet spring. Too wet most days to get much done in the garden without turning my floor into red mud, but some things have been planted and some things are nearly ready to eat.
The kale is not doing great, but should make it through summer to start producing well this fall. The collards are producing smallish leaves, which I like to harvest off the plant so it will keep producing, rather than to cut the whole thing. Bulb onions (red and white) are getting big, leeks and bunching onions are finally big enough to thin a bit, and my 6 ‘experimental’ peanut plants don’t like this weather one bit. Finally, since I got around to installing strings on the branches firmly supporting the peas, they’re off and blooming. Even have some pods at the low level, and they’ll produce fat green sugar snaps due to all the rain.
I’ve never managed to grow enough peas to dry them, and though I’ve occasionally thought about cooking them either as a side dish, soup or an ingredient in a nice pot pie, they never seem to make it into boiling water because they’re just too good as a raw snack or ingredient in salad. But since they’re more nutritionally packed raw than cooked, maybe there’s a reason we love them better raw.
Now, if you enjoy them raw as a snack, it’s easy just to put the pods in a bowl and shell them as needed. But for those who have bushels and wish to dry, can, freeze or cook in quantity, shelling can be a time-consuming task. It’s not like snapping pole beans, but once you learn the motions and hone your aim, you can free a peck of peas in a half hour or less. Don’t try to squeeze the pods open, as this will give you some mushed pea in every pod as well as leave you green under the fingernails.
Notice that the seam on the pod is uneven – one side closes slightly beneath the other, leaving a slight indentation. Pinch-break the stem end and pull the string backwards along the length of the pod to unzip it. It should then either be open or will open with slight pressure on the seam. run your thumb through the pod interior to free the peas. Do this over a wide bowl to catch them – your speed and aim will get better quickly, though at first those peas can fly quite far and roll under things like refrigerators and stoves. Pretty soon you’ll be shelling peas at an astounding rate, and it’s okay to pop a few into your mouth as you proceed, just because you can!
Some people like them slightly steamed (10-15 minutes) to make them tender, but I personally enjoy the crunch of raw. Either steaming or parboiling (4-5 minutes) will prepare them for freezing. Raw or steamed peas in a fancy cream sauce or just a dollop of ranch dressing are yummy, and a raw pea and pasta salad with fresh bunching onions is an all-time early summer favorite with my family.
UPDATE ON THE WHEAT EXPERIMENT: Once I figured out that birds hadn’t actually wiped out the hard red winter wheat I scattered on the bottom tier this past January – and that what was coming up wasn’t just the rye grass that holds my banks together – it looks like what’s left of it will indeed be ready for harvest later this month or by the fourth of July. Unfortunately I mowed most of it down thinking it was grass, so should end up with just enough grain to plant again this winter. It is so pretty growing, and I plan to lovingly cut each head before scything the straw to add to the compost. Next year I’ll know what it looks like, and hopefully get enough to grind for bread too!
