Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Peas on Earth

Peas are absolutely easy and quick to grow. Robin Weiss in San Carlos, CA, planted them this year.
peas1
You can see her harvesting here (helped by Julian).

Peas are cool-season vegetables, fast-growing, and almost fool-proof even for beginning gardeners. There is definitely a thrill to hunting and plucking ripe pods.

The restaurant at the Tate Modern in London serves a pea soup that is beyond memorable. I recently compared notes with a friend who had been to the gallery and mentioned the soup in the same breath as the artwork. Here's a recipe from www.foodnetwork.com that I tried and loved, but I can't promise it matches up to the soup at the Tate. Certainly you have to provide your own view--because the view of the Thames and London's east end with all its new buildings is quite something.


Fresh Pea Soup with Mint
Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas
5 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Freshly ground white pepper
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Toasted French bread, as an accompaniment

Directions
In a saucepan cook onion in butter, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until tender. Add peas and broth and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until peas are tender. Stir in mint.

In a blender puree soup until smooth and pour through a coarse sieve back into pan. Heat soup over moderate heat until hot and remove pan from heat. Add white pepper and salt, to taste, and stir in all but 4 teaspoons buttermilk.

Divide soup between 4 bowls and gently spoon remaining buttermilk onto each serving.

Copyright 2006 Television Food Network.

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