spring seasonal harvest—may—garden peas in the pod

The arrival of  sweet GARDEN PEAS at marketplaces in Paris from May through July is always festive. As for me, I shuck them with delight over and over in my kitchen for weeks on end and eat them in raw in salads and soups, in buckwheat crepes, the traditional and srumptious Risi e Bisi rice dish that dates back to the Republic of Venice, with potato gnocchi even in a savory blancmange, to name just a few possible dishes.

There's something so delicate about their form, color, and the little jewels nested inside their pods yet they're fiercely nutritious, carrying all the abundant seasonal nutrients that call us back to life after winter's retreat. Best not to let them linger in your refrigerator; they much prefer us crunching on their savory goodness freshly harvested, as they rapidly begin to lose their nutritious sweetness.