Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Crowder Peas, A Love Story

Tonight was a lazy dinner, but deeply satisfying.  Just what we needed on this drizzly late summer evening.
Baked tofu (SoyBoy organic tofu bought in 4lb package a week and half ago is finally getting used, baked with a little olive oil, a bit of Bragg's Amino Acids, a splash of blackstrap molasses, a heap of nooch, and a powdering of curry powder), mixed greens, Vegenaise, one of the last heirloom tomatoes from our garden, carrots from the co-op, avocado from Strawberry Fields and a hint of black pepper on Veggie Seed bread from Strawberry Fields.  Garlicky kale (kale provided by our sweet neighbor friend, Greg).  Crowder peas from our other sweet neighbor friend, Katie.  Katie generously gave us a bag of coveted crowder peas from her parents garden in Georgia.  We immediately froze them so they would stay fresh and finally boiled the tonight with a touch of olive oil and sea salt.  Of my, crowder peas are so good!  They remind me of Rob's grandmother.  He says the crowder peas his grandparents grew were purplish so the taste is a little different, but still worth a second or third helping.  The kids gobbled them up like they always did at MaMa's (Rob's grandmother) house.  MaMa lived well into her 90's and I think crowder peas might have something to do with her longevity.

For those of you from the North, like I am, you may not have heard of crowder peas.  They are related to black eyed peas, but I find them so much better, but maybe that is because all the crowder peas I've eaten have been fresh not dried or canned (or if they were canned they were canned at home which tastes different than canned in a factory).  They are little nutrient power houses as most beans are, but they apparently also have edible leaves which are high in protein.  We might just have to try to grow these next year.

5 comments:

Jessica said...

Oh, what luck to come across fresh crowder peas. I've usually seen them more purple/brown too, but certainly more tender than black eyed peas. I agree - fresh peas are a real treat in the summer.

The Voracious Vegan said...

I've never had crowder beans, and until very recently I'd never even heard of them. They sound absolutely delicious and I wish I could find them and give them a try. Great picture!

KBH said...

My parents call them zipper peas, commonly called cream peas. And they promise to bring up more when the baby comes - I'll be sure to save you a bag!

VeganLinda said...

Jessica, I know, there really is nothing like fresh peas/beans!

TVV, I wish I could ship some to you. They are awesome!

Katie, Your parents are so cool. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I am from the south and on another "positive note" my gastroenterologist advised me to eat these because they do not bloat you and cause unwanted gas. Sorry, but thought some of you may find that helpful as well!