Featured Local, Seasonal Ingredient: English Peas
English Peas are sweet, crisp, and juicy, and a late spring / early summer treat.
They can be eaten raw or cooked.
While technically edible, the outside pods of English peas are not usually eaten. When they are young and tender, the outsides can be eaten more easily, but they do become stringy, tough, and fibrous as they mature.
Most people shell the peas and discard the pods when it comes to English Peas unlike snap peas and snow peas, where the entire pod is often enjoyed.
When are peas in season in Utah?
Peas are a cool-season crop; they enjoy cooler weather and taper off when things heat up. For this reason, peas are generally available May-July in northern Utah.
This recipe is tagged as both a spring & summer seasonal recipe; you can explore all of the spring seasonal recipes and summer seasonal recipes here.
Sourcing Local English Peas
The peas that I used for this recipe came from the Ogden Farmer’s Market, where I purchased them from Tagge’s Farm.
About Tagge’s Farm
The Tagge family has been farming in northern Utah since 1977, when Thayne and Cari Tagge purchased their first 27-acre orchard in Perry.
Over the years, the farm has grown to more than 150 acres of fruits and vegetables. It is now a whole family affair that employs and feeds many people in Northern Utah.
They have produce stands, vend at the farmer’s market, and offer a 15-week-long CSA produce box subscription. Visit this blog post to read about my experience cooking with and eating the produce in the 15 week CSA and to learn more about Tagge’s and where to find their produce.
About This Recipe
I get so excited for the beginning of farmer’s market season. Peas and morels are always available at the same time at those first few markets in June. Every year we make some variation of a morel and English pea pasta.
This year, I had some garlic scapes on hand and radish greens from the bunch of radishes that I purchased at the market. I really love cooked radish greens; they do cook down quite a bit, so I always wish that I had more, but its a great way to add more nutrients to your pasta.
Other Local, Seasonal Ingredients Used in This Recipe
- Morel Mushrooms– from Intermountain Gourmet Mushrooms
- Garlic Scapes– from Keep It Real Vegetables
- Radish Greens– from Bangerter & Son
*An important note on cooking with Morel Mushrooms
Morels should always be cooked before eating; raw, they can cause digestive issues.
These are wild, foraged mushrooms and not grown indoors. Insects love to hide inside the mushroom, so be sure to wash them. Trim off any soft or dried pieces, cut them in half, and gently swish them around in a bowl of cold water. You can also gently rinse them under running water. Gently blot them dry. Avoid soaking for very long, or they can become waterlogged.
Adjusting the recipe to your palate and what’s in season
The recipes that I share here are meant to be a starting point or an inspiration for you in your own kitchen.
I enjoy creatively exploring seasonal ingredients and finding new ways to use what’s abundant, rather than trying to create one final “perfect” recipe.
Feel free to adjust this recipe to your own taste buds and what you currently have in your garden, fridge, or pantry. If you cannot find morels where you live, you can certainly substitute them for other mushrooms.
Seasonal cooking is flexible, and experimenting is part of the fun.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to pasta- I have found that a simple side salad is really all that I need. I harvested some romaine lettuce from the garden and tossed it with salt, olive oil, and a dash of lemon juice.
Of course, I love carbs and bread is always a good pairing with pasta. But, if you want to make this dish a side instead of the main, you could also pair it with a protein as well.
The Recipe:
English Pea and Morel Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 servings of pasta pappardelle, tagliatelle, bowties, or fettuccine
- 8 oz fresh morel mushrooms cleaned, halved, and sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups English peas shelled
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter more if desired
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 2-3 garlic scapes thinly sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 1-2 cups reserved pasta water
- ½ tsp kosher salt plus more for the pasta water
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- radish greens washed (optional addition)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest optional
- parmesan grated (optional addition)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softened but not browned.
- Add the butter and allow it to melt. Stir in the morels and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have released their moisture and are lightly browned.
- If using, stir in the radish greens. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice and half of the lemon zest if using.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of the pasta's cooking time, add the peas to the boiling pasta water. Reserve some of the pasta water before draining.
- Add the pasta, peas, and sliced garlic scapes to the skillet. Pour in about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and toss continuously over medium heat until the butter and pasta water emulsify into a silky sauce. Add additional pasta water, a splash at a time, until the sauce lightly coats the noodles.
- Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon if needed.
- Serve immediately, topped with the remaining lemon zest and parmesan.
Notes
- Morels should always be thoroughly cooked and never eaten raw.
- For prepping morels: trim off any soft or dried pieces, cut them in half, and gently swish them around in a bowl of cold water. You can also gently rinse them under running water. Gently blot them dry. Avoid soaking for very long, or they can become waterlogged.
- Visit Together We Bloom for more seasonal recipes from farmer/foodie Taylor.
Do you love Pinterest too?
Click the image below to see this pin on Pinterest and save it for later. Or you can visit my Peas Recipe Pinterest Board with lots of recipe ideas and inspiration.
Explore More Recipes with these local, seasonal ingredients:
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- English Pea & Morel Mushroom Pasta Recipe
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