The snow peas are in. We try to eat them as fast as they grow but we are woefully falling behind. We’ve eaten them everyday, sometimes for lunch and dinner. I even went out this morning and ate some for breakfast! This is the way it is with a garden, you eat what’s in season. I remember laughing about Barbara Kingsolver’s stories of endless, unavoidable zucchini in her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. We’ve tried freezing snow peas in the past and it’s just disappointing so we would rather share them and turn green eating them. While the garden is in we sacrifice variety for fresh homegrown vegetables. It’s an easy trade-off. My son is amazed at the value of a package of seeds. “So, it only cost $2.00 to buy all the seeds to grow all these plants and all these snow peas?!” Even though there is some work involved, a vegetable garden really is the ultimate bargain in so many ways. If you don’t have much space, the book Square Foot Gardening is a wonderful system. Keep it small and grow only things you love to eat.
Here’s a simple favorite with snow peas:
Heat a wok to medium and put a dash of olive oil in it. Throw in a bunch of snow peas in and toss constantly until they are a bright, uniform green. Salt lightly or use a dash of Braggs liquid aminos and enjoy!
Does my heart good to hear you speak like that of gardening, but to see that same enthusiasm in my grandson is rewarding at the highest level.
I set up an irrigation system for my tomato and pepper plants. Now I won’t have to hand water.
I put in 27 Beauregard sweet potato plants a couple days ago and will continue to hand water them until they take off on their own. They don’t need so much water that I need to set up a system for them.
I still have to take down a few more trees to get more sun on the new plots I’ve put in.
I’ve got peas in, but not snow peas. Something to think about for next spring.
Love, Papi
What a lovely simple way to eat snow peas. And wonderful that your son recognizes the value!
The snow peas in the wok are such a pretty green! I’ll have to try your simple recipe–emphasis on the ‘simple’.
Let’s see: $2.50 for the packet of seeds. Hauling or ordering compost and fertilizer to enrich the soil. A wire fence to keep out the bunny rabbits; mole/vole traps to keep critters from eating the roots. There’s a bit of weeding to make sure the peas aren’t choked. I guess these peas are worth about $5.00 a pint. But, ah, there’s nothing like eating them off the vine.
It sounds like you’ve a nascent gardener in the family.
Your mom makes a good point!
So many lessons for the kids to learn living on a farm.
Something they could never learn in school.
Hats off to you guys!
Thanks Marylee, it always helps to have family support. Sometimes homeschooling is lonely.