Podding peas

Broad beans, peas and other legumes clambering up canes or hazel twigs is a clear sign that summer is truly here. Their arrival, in both edible and floral form, is the starting pistol for a flurry of activity over the summer when we spend more time outside than in, and are picked young and fresh, needing minimal treatment from kitchen garden to plate. The wealth of summer abundance is upon us. In this new series, Linda Herbert will share her vegetable growing knowledge, alongside a seasonal recipe from head chef Jed. 

Peas: Spring Blush.

This eye-catching climbing sugar snap pea will happily ascend supporting structures using its tendrils, producing beautiful bi-colour purple flowers.  The two-tone green blushed pink pods should be eaten young and raw in a salad, added for colour in a stir fry or grown to semi-maturity and podded to eat plump peas raw or cooked. The prolific and tasty tendrils can be used as a garnish while the pea tops can be pinched out after your peas are tall enough to eat as well. Peas are full of goodness too: fibre rich, low in fat and containing vitamins A, B1, C, Iron and minerals.  At Water Lane, these peas add beauty amongst the plain green Brassicas and give height and interest to our formal rows.