Carpe Peaum

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Peas have a warm and fuzzy vibe. The very name sounds like peace, and the cliche, ”like peas in a pod,” denotes compatibility. Along the same lines,  the phase “like peas and carrots,” refers to things that go together harmoniously.

Snap peas, being so sweet and fun to pick, are a hit with kids. Shelling peas, not quite so much, as the kids are often roped into doing the shelling. But when the peas are out of the pod, having a bowl of those vitamin-rich spheroids yields a special kind of power.  With a bowl onhand you can add them to a dish with a flick of the wrist that looks like you’re casting a spell, and in the time it takes to say abracadabra, your dish is healthier, and more fun.

In the garden, the peas are currently in a bit of a lull. The spring peas are starting to wane, although I can still find them at the farmers market. But if the thought of disappearing peas makes you sad, now is actually a great time to plant a fall crop. As long as they get planted 10 weeks before you expect a frost, they will have plenty of time to produce.

Now, about those peas and carrots that supposedly go together so well. Most of us have had that combination as a side dish, usually from a frozen bag. To make them properly, cut the carrots down to pea-size, for easy eating, and cook them separately in salted water. First do the carrots, and when they are softened but not mushy, remove them from the boiling water with a pourous spoon and plunge them into ice water. Then boil the peas. Older peas need a more cooking, and if they are of a certain age you may have to sacrifice that bright green color if you want softness. Then plunge the peas in the ice bath to join the carrots. Next, saute some garlic butter and make a pea and carrot scampi.

I was in the mood for more of a main course and came up with something in the spirit of Guyanese cook-up rice, where in various meats and vegetables are cooked with rice. Each ingredient is carefully added at just the right time, so that by the time the rice is cooked perfectly, everything else is too.

I tried my first cook-up rice on the outskirts of Cayenne, French Guiana, at the house of some friends. That batch included tripe, chicken feet and chunks of beef as well as several types of dried beans, which my hosts referred to as “peas.” My peas and carrots cook-up rice does not contain meat, because the dish is satisfying with the peas alone supplying all of the protein. The other flavors come from fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and peppers, along with fresh ginger and the Indian spice powder garam masala—in keeping with the West Indian origins of the dish.

Everything about the dish was festive, including the happy vibes as we lazed around waiting for the cook-up to cook. It was well worth the wait.

Peas and Carrots Cook-Up Rice

Once you get the hang of cook-up rice, you can play around with all sorts of ingredients. I kept this one vegetarian, so that we can enjoy the bounty of summer without distractions.

Serves 6

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • One onion, minced
  • 1 pound of potatoes, cubed to about an inch
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Two sliced jalapenos or pepper of your choice
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cubic inches of ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala powder
  • 1 can diced tomatoes or a pound of fresh, diced
  • 2 cups rice (I prefer jasmine, but any will do, including brown rice)
  • 1 cup shelled peas
  • 2 cups carrots, cut into ½ thick rounds
  • Optional: feta cheese as a topping

Add the butter, oil, onions and potatoes to a deep pan with a tight-fitting lid, and saute the onions and potatoes on medium. When the onions become translucent and start to disappear, add the salt, peppers, garlic, ginger and garam masala powder.

Continue cooking on medium for about five minutes, stirring often, to let the aroma develop. Then add the tomatoes and let the sauce simmer and thicken for another ten minutes.

While the sauce cooks, rinse the rice in a bowl or pot by stirring it around in water. Then dump and replace the water and stir some more. Repeat the process until the rinse water stays clear. This means the starch has been removed, and the rice won’t stick together.

After letting the tomato sauce cook for about ten minutes on medium, taste and season if necessary.  Add the rice, and about two cups of water or stock – just enough to cover everything by about half-inch – and stir it all together. Add the peas and carrots and stir again. After that, no more stirring.

Authentic cook-up rice is stirred several times as it cooks, but I can’t bring myself to stir rice. And I like the brown skin that develops at the bottom of the pan if you don’t disturb it, and cook it perfectly without burning.

Put the cover on the pan and cook for about 20 minutes. Although I frown upon stirring it, you can lift the cover and peak. When the liquid starts to disappear, test a grain of rice. If it has a way to go you should add another cup of water and replace the lid. Continue adding water, a little at a time, to keep it from burning as the rice cooks. When the rice is cooked, sprinkle on the feta, if using. (It’s not at all authentic but I think it tastes good.) Put the lid on, turn off the heat and allow it to rest for another 15 minutes.

Now you may stir it. And serve.