Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas just picked only 5 minutes ago...

What can one say about peas? Honestly I hate them, especially canned peas, disgusting. However, frozen peas are no better. There is something to be said about anything that is processed from its original state. The flavor and texture is lost, sometimes even the color. Growing up I did everything I could to rid my plate of the hideous peas. From the occasionally filling my mouth with them, then excusing myself for the restroom to dispose of them. It worked for awhile until my parents grew wise of my doings. Later in life I would tolerate them in things like soups or potpies, but it wasn't till I started to grow them myself that I gained an appreciation for them.

 

The flowers that pop up before the pods appear so just so beautiful. They are just so delicate and so pretty, that you get a feeling that something good is going to come of it. Then one day you come out to the garden and viola! there are fresh pods growing with tasty peas inside, almost like they changed overnight.

I picked some today and removed the peas from the pods. The dogs were so eager to get the shells to eat them. Of course being the mom I am I wanted to make sure they had some carrots as well. I was reading an article in my Organic Gardening magazine that said this about carrots...

"served whole, they (carrots) promote healthy teeth and gums for dogs,

since they can act as natural abrasives to control tartar".

Not too bad. Of course they all would rather if steak grew out of the ground, but what dog wouldn't. I managed to gather a good handful of pods that were ready to be picked. The peas are large and plump as you can see. As well as a nice bright green color. I am not sure if you can actually eat the pods themselves. There are still so many that need some more time to grow. Waiting for the sun that is suppose to be upon us soon.

I did manage to get a serving size of peas to eat along with the chicken I cooked for dinner. I added some butter and garlic caesar seasoning, turned out pretty tasty. I am still amazed at what I can grow and the colors are so much more vibrant (and fresher) than what I could buy in the store. Plus, they are free, with the exception of the care and love put into growing them. ;)