All We Are Saying Is Give Peas A Chance!

Visualize Whirled Peas!

I haven't posted a recipe in a long, long time! Time to correct that oversight.

I'm a huge fan of the English Pea. Otherwise known as the green pea, the shell pea or the common garden pea, I could probably eat a bucketful if properly motivated.

Fresh peas are best, of course, but frozen will do just as well. I'm not a big fan of canned peas, but given a choice between mushy canned peas and eating lima beans or chickpeas, I'll gladly go with the pea.

You can get 'em dried, too, but there's not much you can do other than turn 'em into split-pea soup. That's not a bad way to treat a pea, especially if you have a big ol' hambone or some chunks of salt pork to cook with the soup.

I usually buy large bags of frozen peas, and use them in just about everything. A double handful tossed in the boiling pot really jazzes up an otherwise dreary bowl of ramen. I've been known to munch on 'em frozen, they have a sweet taste and an amusing crunch. Occasionally, I'll thaw out a pint of peas, then add diced ham & cheese, then mix in some ranch or green goddess salad dressing for a quick & easy pea salad.

Peas also mix nicely into chicken salad or egg salad, and you can't go wrong tossing a handful into a chicken or tuna casserole.

My favorite way to eat them is to take a cup or so in a microwaveable dish, toss a knob of butter on top, then nuke 'em until they steam. Then a quick dash of garlic salt and I'm in pea heaven.

Today's recipea is something out of the ordinary, a fancy pea salad suitable for royalpea or pea-ons.

El Capitan's Whirled Peas

FOOD INGREDIENTS:

4 cups fresh or frozen English peas

2 cups fresh cut sweet corn (or canned Niblet corn)

1 small sweet onion (TX 1015, Vidalia), diced

1 cup cheese (whatever variety you prefer), small dice or shredded
Adjust volume accordingly! With a hard, stinky cheese, a little goes a long way!

2 hard boiled eggs, diced (more, less or none is OK, depending on your egg tolerance)

1-3 cups salad dressing - I like fresh-made buttermilk ranch dressing, but you can use just about any salad dressing you like, even Miracle Whip or mayo if that's what spins your knobs. I find that Italian and Bleu Cheese dressings can be a bit pungent and drown out the vegetable flavors.

kosher salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional, but tasty!
1 cup diced jicama. It adds crunch without being intrusive.
If you live in a jicama-free zone, a firm sweet apple will substitute
Chopped green salad olives with pimento
grape tomatos
cayenne pepper

EQUIPMENT:

Large bowl with tight-fitting lid.

HERE'S HOW TO DO IT:

Throw everything into the bowl except the salad dressing & salt & pepper. Put the lid on tight, and whirl that bad boy around until you feel at one with the universe, or the ingredients are well mixed, whichever comes first.

Open it up, and slowly mix in the salad dressing until it's all thoroughly coated. I like a nice thick coat, but it's up to you. Give it a test-taste, and add salt & pepper if needed.

Put the lid back on, and let chill for a few hours to let the flavors mix.

Try not to eat it all at one sitting!

Mucho Gusto!