For The Love of Peas

Here in the southernmost part of the United States, it is dang hot.  Hot.  Miserably hot.  The people who know me well will testify that I am a better person when the first cool front blows through.  I turn into a giddy little schoolgirl.  Nothing good happens down here in August and September, or so I thought until I discovered Purple Hull peas.

 

About four years ago, I read a column in our local paper in which the author spoke of shelling Purple Hulls and how they are more difficult to find, but taste better than Black Eyed peas.  Not long after that, a good friend of mine mentioned something about Purple Hulls, and I began hunting for them in the grocery stores.  I found my first bag at a farmer's market, and I was hooked.  I would even say, obsessed.  I had to plant them in my own garden.  I have a small plot in our back yard - only 5'x14'. The first year, I planted a small area. This summer, I filled almost the entire garden!  I left room for three fall tomatoes, kept my pepper plants from the spring, and planted three small rows of okra.  Peas are the only reason for joy in this kind of heat.  Plant them in late June, and they thrive. A side note: I live in Zone 9, so we get hot quickly and for a long time.

These look so beautiful in the garden - the dark green leaves contrasting with the deep purple pods.

They look the same as a Black Eyed pea - except with purple eyes!

This is roughly 2 lbs. from the first harvest. Peas will sometimes reproduce. Last year's garden did not, but we have been fortunate this year, and some of the vines are even on their third round. Don't think that a small garden cannot feed your family - unless you have 10 kids. Then you need a farm.

I have a fondness for peas for a few reasons: one is that the plants are small, and you can put a lot of them in a compact space, about two inches apart. Planting them closely together also helps tremendously with keeping weeds out of the garden. The other reason is that if some of the pods dry out on the vine, all is not lost.  Shell them anyway, and store the dried peas in a jar. When you are ready to cook them, soak them overnight in water just as you would dried beans.  No pea goes to waste in my house!  Peas that are not dried out can be stored in the freezer immediately after shelling.  The leftover pods can be tossed into the compost bin, or just throw them out into the garden - they are great for your soil.

My favorite way to serve Purple Hulls is simply to combine the frozen peas in a large pot with a chopped onion and sausage (my preference is venison or venison and pork).  Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.  DO NOT add salt until just before serving, as salt will make the peas (and beans, for that matter) mushy.  Salt and pepper to taste. Much of the flavor will come from the onion and sausage.  I serve this with a side of collard greens and buttermilk cornbread.  Get yourself some iced tea, and you have a meal that's about as southern as you can get! 

School Cramps My Style

The problem with starting a new blog during the summer is that one can easily be misled into thinking that she will have time to, 1: do anything creative on a regular basis, and 2: blog about it on a regular basis.  Then reality hits, and creativity comes only on the weekends.

The past two weekends have produced this little cutie:

I scooped this vintage pattern up from an antique mall - the dealer claims that it is from the 50s, although I might venture to guess that it was made in the 60s.  Either way, it's adorable and true to the pattern envelope - Jiffy.  Two main pattern pieces, kimono-style sleeves, and a belt.  We chose the pocket flaps, but the Little Girl wanted them to be placed below the waistline.  I used bias tape instead of doing a facing at the neckline - I am beginning to jump on the bandwagon of sewists who hate facings.

The dress took about 4 hours, from cutting until I finished the machine stitching. I am not too quick on the machine, but I'm improving.  The hand stitching to finish the bias trim took ages, but I am a fan of the blind stitch, so I deal with it.  Good television helps. This was FUN to make - I told my girl that she could have as many of these dresses as she wants.  Big grins ensued...

Terrible pictures, yet again, but this is what happens when one remembers that she should photograph the project moments before walking out the door for church on Sunday morning.  I cut the belt on the bias, which could have turned into a mistake because of the stretching of the fabric.  I did two lines of topstitching to reinforce it a little, and I think that solved the problem.

I told her to put her hand on her hip to better show the kimono sleeve, and she automatically threw the opposite hip out to the side.  She was pretty excited to be on the blog until I informed her that her face wouldn't make it.  Gotta protect the kiddos, ya know...

Obviously these photos do not do the dress justice.  Little Girl looked incredibly sweet, and she said that the sleeves were very comfortable.  Plans have been made already to wear it for school pictures.