Pod Perfect
The sight of peas in their pods is a very welcome one, and finally they are showing up at the markets here in London. Our local farmers' market in London Fields Primary School has finally opened for the summer (note: everything is farmed within a 100-mile radius of London), so now we are blessed with Broadway Market on Saturday and the farmers' market on Sunday. I am taking full advantage of both every weekend. It is just the way I like to shop – let the market determine what we are going to eat!
Lately it has been all about British asparagus but finally the English peas are coming into their own. It’s funny how some foods just say spring/summer has arrived! Fresh peas have to be one of them. I had heard that the rain this spring affected the pea crop so I know they may not last long, which means now is the time to make the most of these sweet little gems. As far as I am concerned, shelling them is therapeutic. You must agree, no? OK, call me crazy, but I just love watching the pile of peas grow as I make my way through the pods. Such satisfaction!
Growing up, my sister used to gag at the sight of peas – not a word of a lie. On that note, I question how we can be related. I love peas! Hot or cold, I think they are delicious and super-versatile. You can let them sing on their own merits or marry them with a collection of other ingredients for something special like a summer pea and prawn risotto, or whiz them with fresh ricotta, a little lemon and tarragon, and spread the mixture on a crostini. Just writing this is making me hungry. Run, don’t walk, to the market and get yourself some peas!
A classic pairing for peas is fresh mint – this I know is not new. It’s like strawberries and cream; they work so well together it’s hard not to think of them as one. I have been growing some spearmint in my garden this year, so I opted to use that instead of regular mint. It has a softer, milder flavour and allows the sweetness of the peas to shine through. I cooked my peas with the spearmint leaves in boiling salty water, then crushed them lightly and stirred the spearmint through. If you want more mashed/mushy peas, use a hand blender and blitz the peas for a thicker end result. Enjoy!
Andrea Stewart
It’s not surprising that three of Andrea Stewart’s favourite foods are bread, butter and champagne, since her approach to all things culinary has always been pure and simple. This experienced, creative and enterprising chef and editor approaches cooking and eating with a solid appreciation for fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Andrea’s journey with food began while living in France, working as an au pair for Grace Jones. While feeding the young offspring of the famous singer, she was tempted on a daily basis by the busy, colourful French food markets. Later on, she spent a summer at Ecole de Gastronomie Francaise Ritz-Escoffier and fell in love all over again with everything France had to offer. Upon returning to Canada, she was accepted at the acclaimed Stratford Chefs School and after completing her first year she headed to New York to further sharpen her skills, working alongside some of the finest (including Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto) and catering Martha Stewart’s executive meetings. Andrea returned to Toronto in 1996, and further immersed herself in her career, working at some of the city’s top food fixtures, including Mildred Pierce and Ace Bakery. She eventually took a side-step out of the kitchen and into the halls of magazine publishing, landing a position as Food Editor of Wish Magazine in 2004. While inspiring busy Canadian wonder-women to cook from scratch, she published her first cookbook, Wish, Market to Table. From street food to fine dining to unfamiliar grocery stores, food still motivates Andrea at every turn. She recently sold everything but a prized collection of cookbooks and moved to the U.K., where her culinary library spans the two floors of her London flat. She won’t rest until she has cooked from every one of them!