Summer is finally here and the gardens are already full of extraordinary green delights. One of them, of course, are young peas! It is full of stalls, can be found in department stores and in some places it is already growing in home gardens. The domestic is of course incomparably better than that imported from traders from the other side of the world, since it is mostly produced in the USA, Russia, China and India. Historians claim that peas have an older origin than beans and that our ancestors enjoyed them several millennia ago and that their homeland is Asia. There are many types of peas, the most valuable in our country are large yellow peas with a very thin skin and large green peas, also called sweet or sugar peas. Peas contain a lot of nutrients and a lot of vitamin A, the whole group of B vitamins and important minerals, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and other elements, so experts strongly recommend them to vegetarians, as they successfully replace meat in terms of nutrition. Peas are the garden vegetable with the highest protein content and a high proportion of fiber has a beneficial effect on the metabolism. Cook the peas in a covered pot of lightly salted water for as little as possible—just a few minutes, sampling a few grains every now and then so you don’t overcook them. Be sure to save water when cooking, for example for pouring risotto or as a vegetable base for another dish. We don’t usually eat pea pods because they are much more fibrous than beans, but we can use them to cook a wonderful vegetable base, which we then pour over risotto… But the Japanese also prepare pods, of course if they are (pods, not Japanese ) really young. Extracted pea kernels can be used for various sauces, vegetables and meat, heated in butter and offered as an accompaniment to fish or meat, cooked peas can be mashed into puree, sauce or soup. It is also appreciated in combination with rice, spring onions, corn, mushrooms and carrots and generally serves as an extremely tasty universal side dish. Peas go great with pasta, for example by quickly braising them on roasted onions.
One of the most famous dishes starring peas and rice is Reis-Bizi or Reis-Bizi and is originally a Venetian dish. It always consists of roasted onions and garlic braised peas and rice and parmesan, and sometimes a slice of roasted bacon or prosciutto is added. But about that another time. Today we dedicate a few words to minestrone, which is also one of those dishes that peas go perfectly with. It’s a thick, very hearty vegetable soup, almost a stew of Italian origin, containing (depending on the season) carrots, peas, leeks and potatoes, but also kale or cauliflower and green beans, and of course garlic and onions. Bacon is often added, especially in winter, and served with parmesan and bread. Since it has an interesting history, we will soon dedicate a separate post to it in the vegetable-rich season.
MINISTER WITH PEAS
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PERSONS
• 500 g young peas
• 150 g of any pasta
• 100 g celery bulbs
• 3 carrots
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 zucchini
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, thyme, oregano, bay leaf
• 1 bunch of parsley
PREPARATION
1. Cut the onion and garlic separately. Grate carrots and cut into thin rings. Wash the zucchini and cut into smaller cubes. Peel and grate a pumpkin and cut into small cubes. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot together in oil. Once the onions are glazed, add the peas, garlic and zucchini, stir and sauté over low heat until they smell like garlic.
2. Pour a liter of hot water, salt and pepper to taste, then add spices and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft to the teeth.
3. Shake the noodles in the saucepan and cook them in the soup according to package directions. A fairly thick minestrone forms. Add freshly chopped parsley, set aside and mix well and serve with good quality fresh bread and grated parmesan or other hard cheese.
3. If you want a minestrone stronger or as a standalone dish, you can add sliced meats like hot dogs, sausage, bacon during cooking…
Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes
Pea, feta and zucchini dumplings
We need it
• 150 g shelled young peas
• 1.5 dlleka
• 2 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• 125 grams of flour
• 2 zucchini
• 75 g feta cheese
• Sea salt, freshly ground pepper
• Olive oil
preparation
Briefly fry the peas in a little oil, set aside and allow to cool slightly. Whisk together the milk, eggs, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add the flour and mix until smooth and lump-free. Wash and coarsely grate the courgettes. Squeeze well and shake in a bowl with the batter. Add peas and grated cheese. Pepper everything together and mix well. Heat some oil in a frying pan and use a spoon to spread mounds of batter on top, press down lightly with a spoon and fry on both sides until golden brown. Serve warm with minestrone or as a standalone dish with a green salad.
RICE PULP WITH STRAWBERRY FILLING
We need it
• 200 g short grain rice
• 250 grams of strawberries
• 5 Dlmleka
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1.5 dl sweet cream
preparation
Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the washed rice, sugar and a pinch of salt, add and cook very slowly for about 25 minutes or until a thick paste is formed. Set aside, allow to cool and refrigerate for at least two hours. Strawberries are washed and cut into slices. Reserve some pieces for decoration and shake the others in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar, pour over lemon juice and blend with a hand blender. Whip the cream and mix into the chilled rice pudding, which is divided into glasses. Pour the strawberry puree over the dessert and garnish with strawberry pieces.
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