UNITED STATES—The pea, the only vegetable as a kid that made me completely cringe whenever I was forced to eat it. You know a pea when you see one, its small, round like a ball, its green and it has a mushy taste to it. It’s funny to a degree, the pea is considered a fruit because of the pod that hosts the small bit sized veggie. I’ll admit I’m a huge fan of snow peas and sugar peas because they have a sweeter texture in my opinion and a crisp taste that is to die for.
Split pea soup is one dish that utilizes the veggie for all of its essential parts. That is a soup; similar to French onion soup that I cannot stomach no matter how hard I try. The pea is a vegetable in my opinion that mixes well with dishes like meatloaf and pork chops. You can’t have either of those dishes without mashed potatoes and peas, it’s a cardinal sin!
The pea is one veggie that is loaded with fiber, vitamin A, C and K; it’s also a good source of calcium, folate, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. Its best to steam the veggie to ensure vital nutrients and vitamins are not diminished. Boiling is never recommended with most veggies because it takes away from vital essentials that are loaded with the veggie before cooking preparation.
This is one vegetable that is commonly used in dishes to provide a bit of color and texture that may be missing before hand. I will admit I am an avid fan of peas when they are placed inside of a chicken pot pie. It might be a mushy vegetable, but if you can mask the veggie with other veggies, its hard to even know that its there.
By LaDale Anderson
