Peas please

As a child I hated peas, 'though can't for the life of me remember why. Maybe loading the rolling balls onto a fork was too much like hard work. In those days they were served as an accompaniment to meat or fish and potatoes and may have been joined by a few boiled carrots. My father would insist on me having some and I cut a deal with him, agreeing to eat just three.

Now I really enjoy them. There's nothing more satisfying than sitting in the shade, popping the pods and letting the petite little poppets give a satisfying plop into a pan. That is a lot of p's. As they're very palatable I may pop a few in my mouth. Okay, enough already.

Peas are no longer classed as a bit on the side. They can become the star of the show in risotto or ravioli or thrown into curries, baked into samosas, sprinkled in salads or squished in soups. Their favourite friends are mint, lemon and ricotta. 

                            Pea and mint ravioli

The pods can be blitzed to make soup or stock and the shoots add a fresh sweetness to salads or can be used as a decorative garnish.

I should have appeased my dad and eaten a few more! Sorry!