We have been loving our gardens this year! In our Toasted Walnut Spinach Basil Pesto post we talked about how our decision to go down to 1 income has paid dividends in other ways, one being the ability to better maintain a garden. Lately we have been coming up with as many meals as possible that make use of fresh garden ingredients, like our Vegan Asparagus Soup.
Today we want to share one of our favorite Spring and Summer recipes which has actually become a 4th of July tradition of sorts in our family: Spring Peas and Potatoes with Milk and Butter. Growing up in New York my family would always fix peas and potatoes on the 4th of July along with Ribs, hot dogs, and homemade strawberry ice cream. Hard to miss with that menu! These are all tasty traditions we’re now passing along to the next generation. We think traditions are fun and also an important part of family life.
Peas and Potatoes — yum!
I know we still have a month to go before we hit July, but with fresh peas growing in our garden we couldn’t resist an advanced tasting.
So maybe you’re thinking…
How Can I Grow Peas in my Garden?
The easy answer is you’ve just got to give it a try. The first decision you probably want to make is “what sort of peas do I want to grow?”. For something like this peas and potatoes recipe you likely want to go with english garden peas (inedible pod), but if you want a variety of options in your garden you might also consider planting snow peas or snap peas.
Check out the below resources if you need a little more help getting started.
Information on How to Plant and Grow Peas
- All about peas
- How to Plant and Grow Peas
- Almanac Guide to Peas
- Easy Guide to Growing Perfect Peas
- Varieties of Peas
And some tips on this recipe:
The most time consuming part is shelling the peas. We try to make it a fun activity our kids help out with. Of course, sometimes when we do this the kids consume the peas at the same rate they shell them. By hey, at least they are getting a serving of fresh vegetables! If you don’t have time to plan ahead and time is a concern you can always buy uncooked pre-shelled peas.
On to the recipe
Spring Peas and Potatoes
PrintIngredients
- 18-24 small new potatoes
- 1-2 cups shelled garden peas
- 3 Tbsp butter
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Place a steamer basket in a pot with water.
- Steam the potatoes for 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the potato (the potatoes I found were maybe ping pong ball size).
- Add the shelled, rinsed peas and steam for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Drain the peas and potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces.
- Put the potatoes in a pot with several tablespoons of butter and add salt and pepper.
- Cook for several minutes.
- Add peas and cover with milk (I used about 1 cup of whole milk).
- Cook on low for maybe 5-8 minutes.
- Dish and serve.
Notes
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