Pass the Peas, Please!

There is a produce distributor in San Diego that allows public access during select hours and, so we had been told, is like a candy store for food geeks like me.  So, on Sunday Jolee and I took a trip to the Specialty Produce warehouse to look around.  My looking turned into $60 worth of beautiful vegetables, new artisan salts, oats, and fruit.

 Oh, and did I mention fresh peas?

I found a great source on Green Peas from the World's Healthiest Foods:

When purchasing garden peas, look for ones whose pods are firm, velvety and smooth. Their color should be a lively medium green. Those whose green color is especially light or dark, or those that are yellow, whitish or are speckled with gray, should be avoided. Additionally, do not choose pods that are puffy, water soaked or have mildew residue. The pods should contain peas of sufficient number and size that there is not much empty room in the pod. You can tell this by gently shaking the pod and noticing whether there is a slight rattling sound. All varieties of fresh peas should be displayed in a refrigerated case since heat will hasten the conversion of their sugar content into starch.

Aside from being just simply sweet and delicious, fresh green peas are a nutritional powerhouse.  The are packed full of 8 vitamins and 7 minerals, dietary fiber and minerals.  They also promote bone health with vitamin K which we convert to help maintain our levels of a chemical called osteocalin which in turn makes sure that bone mineralization is not impaired.  Peas also supply a good amount of folic acid and B6 which helps reduce homocystein, a molecule that contributes to osteoporosis.

After shelling my new fresh peas, I dusted two Ono fillets with a bit of yellow curry, coriander, and Thai ginger sea salt.

I sauteed the peas with basil, cilantro, garlic and onion and added a tiny bit of vegetable stock.  Add whole grain brown rice and YUM!