Saturday, September 4, 2010

Black-Eyed Peas

No, not the band. I found fresh black-eyed peas at the farmer's market and decided to give them a try. I grabbed a couple hands full.

Some pods were bright green and plump and some where more brown and almost dry. I thought briefly about sorting them out for cooking, then changed my mind.

I've eaten dried black-eyed peas before, but never fresh ones. I looked for recipes online and finally decided to cook them through with a little salt and serve them fairly plain at first, to get the true flavor of them before I started added things.

It took a while to get all of the peas out of their pods (or are they beans, really? I looked it up and I'm still not sure). 

They ranged in color from a pale beige to a lovely green. They all went into a pot together, I added a little salt, and let them simmer away.

Directions I read said to simmer them until they were as soft as you wanted them. I tried them at different intervals and at one point the green ones were sort of like edamame. The beige ones were more starchy. I cooked them all until the were cooked through, checked for salt again, and served them rather plain.

The cooked peas were a little paler and color than before they were cooked, but you could still see the difference between the green and the beige. They looked sort of pretty and delicate, with that dark spot for a little flair.

The taste was subtle and a little bland. Not the most exciting dish on the table. But I liked the flavor and I liked the contrast between the green beans and the beige ones. I could imagine me eating these as a snack, the way I eat edamame. But then again, I'm weird.

For those who want more of a flavor punch, I'd have to agree that these would be a lot better with some bacon, onions, or other flavorings. But I do think I like the fresh better than the dried.


Now, if only someone else would do all that shucking for me.
Yum

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Technically, beans, but does not really matter. I've been a fan of BEP for years. Fresh is a rare treat; I mostly use frozen. I cook 'em with small amount of bacon and onion NOT precooked, just toss into cooking water. A little herb is nice, but not essential. Glad you enjoyed them.
Cedarglen

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