European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse A smal but worthy passion by Leslie land new York times Ugar snaps Snow peas Garden peas and Petite pois. The vegetable Lover need never grow bored when the Sweet peas of Spring Are in season. Start out gobbling them raw and slowly move to the simplest of preparations lightly steamed and barely glazed with butter. Then and Only then turn to Cream to Hollan Daise sauce and to hazelnut Vinaigrette. Or to the Many foods and flavors that go so Well with peas Lemon Ginger cinnamon Basil Ham smoked Chicken and Trout. But always use these in Small amounts so that the vegetable once described As so innocent so confiding by the author William Wallace Irwin is allowed to Shine Forth unobstructed. Irwin who wrote the garrulous gourmet published in 1952was not the Only one to Laud the lowly Green pea. Other More famous partisans include Thomas Jefferson who planted More than 30 kinds of peas at Monticello Beau Brummell whose abstention from vegetables would have been absolute except that he once ate a Green pea and Louis Xiv. According to Barbara Ketcham Wheaton in Savouring the past University of Pennsylvania press 1983the court at Versailles suffered an endemic tendency to hysteria Over Green one fawning attendant apparently found some splendid peas growing near Genoa Italy and went so far As to have them packed with rosebuds and greenery for presentation to the King. Since they were very expensive peas were used to flaunt wealth and of course their consumption was nothing if not conspicuous. The impatience to eat them the pleasures of eating them and the Joy of eating them again Are the three Points which our princes have been discussing these last four Days wrote mme. De Maintenon to the Cardinal de Noailles in 1696, in what is probably the most quoted letter of All time on the subject. There Are ladies who having supped with the King and supped Well find peas at Home to eat before going to bed at the risk of indigestion. It is a fashion a Jefferson s passion on the other hand was unpretentious he simply knew a Good vegetable when he ate one. He engaged in Friendly Competition with his neighbor George divers to see which of them would have the first peas of the season. Divers usually won the one year he did to Jefferson Ever the gentleman kept his own Success a secret. He could afford to be generous Given the Richness of his pea crop which included not Only Garden peas and Field peas but also Snow peas and quite possibly a sugar snap Type As Well. Sugar snaps Are usually labelled a new vegetable in Large part because a new Strain of pea by that name developed in 1979 by Calvin lamborn of the Gallatin Valley seed company won a Gold medal in the All America selections an annual contest. The Honor combined with the pea s High productivity Juicy Crisp texture and super Sweet flavor made it an immediate hit with Home gardeners who spread the word. Why the sugar Beans that Jefferson grew did t excite More interest sooner is a mystery especially since they hold their flavor much better both before and after picking than conventional peas. Garden peas simply do not store Well once off the Vine no matter How cold they Are kept. They Are close to 25 percent sugar when picked but like old fashioned Corn they lose most of that sweetness when picked. So there is some truth to the argument that Flash Frozen baby peas processed within a few hours of picking taste better than so called fresh peas that Are Days away from the farm. But Frozen peas have major faults. First the peas chosen for processing Are too often the Tough skinned types bred More for High yield and ease of harvesting than for flavor. Second their saccharin flatness and overuse dulls the Edge of Delight that fresh peas should bring. Fortunately in fresh pea season there is no need to resort to Frozen. Greengrocers and Farmers markets in the United states offer a grand assortment of fresh peas. Garden peas and chinese peas Are widely sold. Sugar snaps though not common Are becoming More readily available. More rare Are Petite pois which Are not baby versions of regular peas but distinct varieties with a Fuller flavor. Once in a while they turn up at specially greengrocers. To get the Best Green peas look for pods that Are unblemished velvety and plump but not packed solid. Once peas have swollen to squareness they become starchy. Generally speaking the smaller the pea the better though peas that Are not yet fully round Lack the True pea flavor. Cooking time and yield vary with size. Tiny peas take Only 4 or 5 minutes of steaming while their full grown cousins require close to half an hour of gentle stewing. In theory one Pound of peas in the pod equals one cup shelled. One Pound of Petit pois yields Only about half a cup while big peas in big pods May give a cup and a half per Pound with no trouble. Sugar snaps Are the exception to the smaller is better Rule. They must be fully round like Beans to have the finest flavor. Unfortunately full roundness comes Only in the last few Days of a Long growing period and some Farmers Rush the Harvest. Sugar snaps like Snow peas have strings that must be removed. Gently Pinch and break the pod at the Stem end so that the Stem stays attached to the top Bottom seams. Then Peel toward the tip like a Zipper. Sugar snaps in particular must not be overcooked. Steam or stir Fry very briefly four or five minutes or just Long enough to change the color from Dull Green to Emerald and to heat the pods All the Way through. The following recipe is from uncommon fruits and vegetables a commonsense guide by Elizabeth Schneider Harper & Row 1986. Garden snaps with Lime mint Cream dip preparation time 20 minutes. Standing time at least 2 hours. 11/4 pounds sugar snaps strings removed 2 Tablespoons finely chopped mint approximately 1/4 Teaspoon Salt plus More to taste 1/2 Teaspoon sugar 11/z Tablespoons Lime juice or to taste two thirds cup heavy or whipping Cream preferably not Ultra pasteurized mint sprigs for Garnish if desired. Steam the sugar snaps on a rack Over boiling water Only until the color changes about 3 minutes. Immerse in ice water to Stop the cooking then Drain and dry thoroughly. Chill Well. Crush together 1 Tablespoon mint with 1/4 Teaspoon Salt and sugar. Gradually stir in the Lime juice mashing it with the mint. Cover and let stand at least 30 minutes. Press the mixture in a Sieve to extract the juice. Discard the mint and Reserve the Lime mint juice. Slowly stir Cream into the juice then add the remaining 1 Tablespoon chopped mint. Add Salt to taste. Cover and chill for several hours to Mellow and thicken to the consistency of sour Cream. Serve the dip in a shallow bowl garnished with sprigs of fresh mint arranging the sugar snaps around it. Yield 4 to 6 Servings. Green peas Versailles preparation time 30 minutes 1 Large head Boston lettuce 1/z cup water approximately 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter bouquet of 6 Small Parsley sprigs 1 sprig of fresh thyme 2 sprigs fresh Chervil 3 cups shelled Small peas about 31/z pounds in the pod plus 10 of the Best looking pods 1 Bunch scallions Cut into 1-Inch lengths including an Inch of the Green part 1/4 Teaspoon Salt or to taste Pinch of sugar or to taste 2 or 3 Pink roses from uns prayed plants to yield about 16 petals remove four of the prettiest largest outer leaves of the lettuce and Reserve. Shred the remainder As though for Slaw. Combine the water 4 Tablespoons butter and the bouquet of herbs in a wide nonreactive Saucepan or Skillet enamel lined or stainless steel for example with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Add the peas pods scallions and shredded lettuce and stir Well. Cook Over medium Low heat shaking often until the peas Are not quite tender about 6 minutes. Check the liquid level there should be Only enough to form a sauce. If too soupy raise the heat and Cook uncovered from this Point on. Otherwise recover and continue to Cook until the peas Are just tender about 3 minute trots. Meanwhile use scissors to trim the bitter White base from the Rose Petas. Set the petals aside. When the peas fire cooked remove and discard the bouquet and pods stir in the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter and Salt. Taste and adjust seasonings adding sugar if the peas Are not Sweet enough. Arrange the reserved lettuce leaves As cups on a warmed Platter. Divide the cooked peas among them Sprinkle with the Rose petals and serve at once. Yield 4 serving reveling in roasted peppers by Carl Jerome United press International v virtually Ever Mediterranean country has discovered that the Best Wayto serve peppers is to roast them a technique americans understand Little and generally consider a bother and a nuisance. The traditional Way to roast a Pepper is to impale the Pepper on a Fork and hold it Over an open flame or to split it and Grill it Over coals. Neither of these techniques is particularly successful for the american Home Cook and both produce a splattering sputtering mess with Over and under cooked sections of the Pepper. Broiling however produces an evenly charred skin and a perfectly roasted Pepper with none of the mess. When sealed in a plastic bag for a few minutes the Pepper peels easily. Jarred Pimento Are a very poor substitute and have none of the intense slightly Smokey Sweet flavor of a Home roasted red or yellow Pepper both of which Are to my palate preferable to roasted Green and purple which Are really Green with a purple skin peppers. But i am not a Green Pepper fan. All Sweet peppers or Bell peppers Are Green when immature and turn red or yellow when Ripe. In Italy a Little extra Virgin Olive Oil and some chopped fresh oregano sometimes garnished with anchovies would be used to dress roasted peppers. I Tunisia Capers Black olives would be tossed onto the peppers which would be dressed with a spicy Garlicky dressing Flavoured with Caraway seeds. In Egypt the peppers would be served in a salad made with an equal Quantity of sliced tomatoes garnished with scallions and Parsley. In Morocco Green peppers would be roasted and served in the same Way garnished Only with chopped fresh garlic. Large Fleshy peppers Are Best for roasting. Try them with any of the ideas suggested above or with the coriander dressing in the recipe below. Roasted peppers with coriander dressing 4 Large red or yellow Bell peppers heat broiler. Line a broiling pan with aluminium foil for easy cleanup. Arrange the peppers in the pan with about an Inch of space Between them. Broil about 2 to 3 inches from the broiling unit until the peppers Are charred and Black All Over turning the peppers 2 or 3 times As necessary. Transfer the peppers to a plastic bag for 10 minutes and Seal so the peppers can steam Cool slightly and the skins loosen. Carefully Peel the peppers which will still be hot trying not to tear them. Pull out the Stem and most of the seeds. Arrange the peppers in a shallow dish preferably in a single layer with any juices that accumulated in the plastic bag. Cover with dressing and refrigerate until serving time. Coriander dressing Viz cup extra Virgin Olive Oil juice of 1/2 Lemon 1 Small garlic Clove 1 Small Bunch fresh coriander Cilantro leaves finely chopped Salt freshly ground Black Pepper Combine the Oil Lemon juice garlic and coriander. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper. Serve As an appetizer a salad or a Side dish. Step one using a Gas Burner hold the Pepper with a Long Fork directly Over the flame. Rotate the Pepper slowly until the entire surface is blackened. If using a Barbecue Grill or broiler place the Pepper close to the heat source and turn it frequently until blackened. Step two let the Pepper Cool slightly until you can hold it. Rinse it thoroughly under cold tap water making sure to rub off All the charred skin. Step three Cut out the Pepper s Stem. Then halve and seed the Pepper rinsing out any remaining seeds. Slice and serve in salads As a vegetable Courser in any recipe that Calls for Sweet peppers. Not illustration Page 14 the stars and stripes Friday August 19,1988 the stars and stripes Page 15
