Buttered Peas

I confess that I almost never cook fresh peas. Whenever they are available the inhabitants of this household devour them raw, leaving behind the empty shells as evidence of their snacking. They remind me that snow peas with their edible pods are much more efficient.

When I want to serve buttered peas I invariably resort to the frozen ones I keep stashed away. They are truly not a bad option. The cooking method is the same for both fresh and frozen peas.

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

3 cups of peas; frozed peas or shucked fresh peas from about 3 pounds in the shell

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

. . . . . . . .

Instructions:

▪ Insert a steaming rack in a saucepan with a tightly fitting cover. Add water just up to the bottom of the steaming rack and set on high heat.

▪ After the water comes to a boil, add the peas and cover the pan. The timing is dependent upon the freshness and size of the peas as well as your taste. Keep in mind that frozen peas are typically blanched before freezing. Fresh peas could be done in about 1 minute. Frozen peas will take 3 or 4 minutes. Test for doneness by tasting a few.