English Peas

Every March when spring seems eons away, I trudge to the garden, dig into the hard ground and plant English peas. At the time, it seems crazy but for the past month, I have been reaping the rewards of that effort. Fresh from the garden English peas are a sweet sensation. They are crisp and delicious with anything. I have blanched and frozen some for later, mashed them and combined with ricotta to stuff into pasta, added them to homemade Pad Thai, and placed them alongside any grilled fish imaginable. They are perfect and taste like spring. But my favorite way to serve them is with pearl onions in a buttery sauce that feels indulgent and completely satisfies. You can use frozen English peas if you can’t find them fresh, but skip the cans for this recipe!

English Peas with Pearl Onions

Yield: 4 servings

1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh shelled English peas

1/4 pound pearl onions (frozen is fine!) 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Place the pean and onions along with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over low heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Add the salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Drain the peas and onions and transfer to in a serving bowl. Add the sauce and gently stir. Serve immediately.