Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Stories of Peas in Pods

Once upon a time, there were peas in a pod...

These peas are strong! They're ready to knock over their trellis in their search of just a leeetle more light...



Snow white pea flowers have two large petals that look like elephant ears, two small petals that curve inward like wings, and a vertical petal in the middle that botanists call the "keel." Take a close look at clover flowers growing on a lawn - they're in the Pea family too and the small flowers have the same type of petals, but in miniature.



Pea flowers quickly turn into pea pods. (Take a look at the one on the bottom right, mid-transformation.)



Voila! Sun + dirt + seed = lots and lots of pea pods.



Lots of pea pods to shell. While watching TV, of course.



These peas are ready to bust out of their pods.



There are so many delicious ways to prepare peas...
But you can't go wrong with sauteeing in butter. The small pea pods were tender so I left them whole.

Yum.