I have been counting down the days.
It’s like Christmas!
Today I picked up my first box from my CSA with Gruber Farm! Included in the box from Week 1:
- strawberries
- kale
- collards
- broccoli
- daikon radish
- radishes
- mesclun lettuce
- peas
- sweet onions
I couldn’t believe how much was in the box. A whole pint of strawberries? As if I needed more – I went strawberry picking again yesterday. Thank goodness I can freeze them for smoothies! Needless to say, I was anxious to use my fresh produce in the kitchen.
Green Pea Soup with Mint, adapted from New Vegetarian Cooking
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds fresh peas
- 1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3-4 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt, for topping
- fresh mint leaves to garnish
Preparation:
Put the peas into a saucepan with 5 cups water, the onion, and garlic. Cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the onion and garlic are tender. Add mint and simmer for an additional minute.
Blend in a food processor until pureed, then return to the saucepan. Thin, if necessary, with a little more water and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reheat, then ladle into bowls, top with a swirl of yogurt, a grinding of black pepper, and mint leaves, and serve.
Of course I had to eat this with my favorite green spoon. Not only does recipe require very few ingredients, it’s easy to make! I couldn’t believe how good it was for such a simple recipe. You can serve the soup warm, but it would also be delicious chilled. The Charleston weather is so warm already, and a chilled soup would be quite refreshing.
Let’s talk about the nutritional perks of peas! According to The Food Doctor (one of my favorite books), peas contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, B vitamins, folic acid, potassium, zinc, and iron. They’re a good source of vegetable protein, tone the stomach, and aid liver function.
Another favorite pea recipe of mine is Shrimp & Sweet Pea Risotto. Or, check out a bunch of Peas Recipes from my idol, Martha Stewart.
Do you like peas? Do you prefer fresh, frozen, or canned? They all taste different, I swear!
How often do you make your own soup? I’m always so impressed with how much better fresh, homemade soups are. It’s worth the work!
