Shelling peas (or English peas), snap peas, and snow peas are the three most common varieties. Shelling peas are shelled, and only the peas within are eaten. Snap peas and snow peas are eaten pod and all. The tender shoots or tips of the pea vines are good to eat as well. All peas taste best when harvested while young and tender. They are the sweetest at this stage, as the sugars have not yet transformed to starch. Shelling peas have a very short season; they are only around while the cool weather of spring is here. Snap peas and snow peas can tolerate a bit of heat and will last into the early summer. Select peas that are vibrant and firm, with shiny pods. When very fresh the pods will actually squeak as they are rubbed together. Smaller peas of any variety will be tastier than larger ones. The edible-pod varieties, especially snow peas, are best when the peas are tiny, almost undeveloped. As they mature and become too stringy to eat whole, sugar snap peas can be shucked like shelling peas. To prepare snap and snow peas, snap back each end and pull it down the side of the pod to remove any strings. Pea shoots need only to be picked over for any yellow leaves and then rinsed and drained before being sautéed or steamed.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.
I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.