{"id":77772,"date":"2014-08-12T17:07:54","date_gmt":"2014-08-12T07:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=77772"},"modified":"2014-08-18T20:46:38","modified_gmt":"2014-08-18T10:46:38","slug":"sweet-as-a-pea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2014\/08\/12\/sweet-as-a-pea\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweet As A Pea"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>July 21, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Jason Ford<\/strong>
\nFord on Food<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a kid, I hated green peas.<\/p>\n

\n

Firstly because they where green and secondly because they where a vegetable (although they\u2019re botanically a fruit).<\/p>\n

Nowadays I don\u2019t mind them, especially if they are garden fresh.<\/p>\n

Peas are a small, spherical seed encased in a green seed-pod. There\u2019s about 6-9 seeds in each pod.<\/p>\n

They grow on vine-like shoots which can be grown most of the year but really thrive in the cooler months of Spring.<\/p>\n

My wife often plants peas and when they are in season we pick them on a\u00a0daily basis.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s something special about cracking the\u00a0pods\u00a0open and eating\u00a0the fresh peas\u00a0straight from the garden.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are a few different varieties available such as dried split peas which are simmered and used to make soups or a mushy pea mash; while Snow Peas and Sugar Snap Peas are a couple of varieties which are eaten fresh, pod-and-all in stir fries or salads.<\/p>\n

Petits Pois are normal green peas which are harvested young and tiny, then steamed or boiled as a vegetable.<\/p>\n

The immature shoots of the pea plant can be picked while tender and used in Asian stir fries.<\/p>\n

I once saw dried peas coated in Wasabi and eaten a snack food (kind of like peanuts).<\/p>\n

Peas are also sold frozen or tinned, but I don\u2019t really like them because they aren\u2019t as firm as the freshly harvested peas.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Green Pea Risotto<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is my favourite risotto recipe. Some people find its fluorescent green colour a little confronting, however they quickly become fans after their first taste.<\/p>\n