I planted Avalanche snow peas, or, as they are sometimes called, edible pea pods, as soon as I could work the ground which this year was March 27th just six days into Spring. It was a beautiful Spring day of 67 degrees on the eastern plains of Colorado with a spectacular Rocky Mountain backdrop. True to their name, the peas have been snowed on three times, so far. The last snow was on May 20, with a 4- inch heavy, wet snowfall after two weeks of 70 degree weather. That’s a Rocky Mountain Spring for you! Undeterred, they sprouted within 10-12 days and flourished in the cool, damp weather of early spring.
From Seeds
In the Jung seed catalogue they were described as: sweet. crisp, deep green snow peas. The semi-leafless (afila-type) is rare in snow peas, but an advantage as these 30 inch plants are self-supporting and pods are easy to see for picking. Double pods are set at every node (The main difference between node and internode is that the node is the point of attachment of leaves to the stem whereas the internode is the distance between two consecutive nodes. Node and internode are two structural parts found in the stem. The stem is one of the two structural parts of a vascular plant, the other part being the root).
I am already seeing visions of little pea pods in my stir fry recipes. One of my favorite early spring recipes with pea pods is Asparagus Tortellini Salad which I serve as a side dish or light supper with fresh fruit and cheese. This is a simple recipe that incorporates those lovely spring veggies.
Recipe
Tortellini Asparagus Salad with Peas
Ingredients:
- Asparagus, medium bunch (12-15 stalks) cut into one inch pieces
- 1 cup edible pea pods or frozen peas
- 1 eight ounce package of tortellini cheese-filled pasta
- 4 oz. goat (feta) cheese
- 1/3 cup cream, milk or evaporated milk
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- Chopped parsley or chives for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Add tortellini to boiling water in a large saucepan. Cook for recommended time.
- Add chopped asparagus and peas to the tortellini the last two minutes of cooking.
- Pour the pasta, asparagus and peas into a strainer and plate in a bowl or on a platter.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the cream sauce.
- In a small saucepan over a low heat crumble the feta (goat) cheese into the butter and milk. Whisk till the cheese dissolves into the creamy mixture.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the plated pasta salad.
- Garnish with parsley or chives as desired.
Serve immediately. If there are any leftovers, place in refrigerator. This salad is also good cold or reheated in microwave.
When the summer garden provides more than enough bounty, these recipes provide delectable uses for the abundance. Beginning gardeners will find simple, tasty recipes for common variety fruits and vegetables. https://www.amazon.com/Eat-What-YoGrow-Homestead/dp/1497520959/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1546558314&sr=1-1&keywords=Eat+what+you+grow+by+Rachel+May
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