Peas & Beans
Eat your greens – that gentle reminder we all grew up with is all too true! But in saying that, adding greens and vegetables to our diet often proves challenging. So let’s take a fresh look at two of the most unassuming greens; peas and beans. These gifts from the garden are technically legumes but are called out as vegetables by discerning mothers worldwide.
Nothing adds to the dinner table like a burst of colour, and peas certainly deliver that on that point. The most common varieties are either Petite or Garden and while both are the same intense green, Petite peas are smaller and usually the sweeter of the two. Garden peas are more substantial and may require a minute or two extra in cooking. Both varieties are delicious served raw in a salad, or, thanks to one Clarence Birdseye, are one of the few garden favourites that are actually better from frozen! In the 1920s, Birdseye discovered that when peas are quickly blanched before being frozen, they retain their vivid green colouring, and they are one of the most popular frozen foods to this day. If you prefer them cooked, they can easily be added to a dish at the last minute from frozen and will cook in minutes from the heat of the other ingredients. Just as delicious served on their own, add a little fresh mint while cooking to take them up a notch.
Green beans are another vitamin-rich choice that is too often considered boring or old fashioned.
Classic green beans are the ones we all grew up with and that our grandmothers called string beans, although growers have modified them over the years to remove the stringy fibres. Referred to as Snap beans or Pole beans in some parts of the world, they bring a familiar ‘fresh from the garden’ flavour to the table. A more tender and thinner green bean is theHaricot Vert. Shorter and more delicate, these delightful greens cook very quickly, making them an efficient addition to any meal. Readily available from farmers markets, kitchen gardens, or the grocery store, it is not difficult to become inspired to try a new take on your standard recipe – sautéd in a drizzle of oil, wrapped in a slice of prosciutto, sprinkled with lemon or flavoured breadcrumbs are a few appetizing options to get you started.
Green vegetables and legumes are rich in vitamins A, C and K, as well as folic acid and fibres, and they can be a nutritious and delicious addition to our family favourites. With these recipes, getting some greens into our diet becomes a choice, not a chore!