It’s Pea Season…

The Pearl Market is now into the Summer Season and more and more vendors are setting up shop; bringing you great home produced, handmade and freshly grown merchandise.  All of the farmers are busy picking produce and one of those farms is Darby Valley Farm from West Jefferson. Owner Ross Shipley  grows a variety of vegetables such as Sweet Corn, Green beans, Tomatoes, Beets, Onions, Watermelon and Peas, which are in season now. He focuses on season extension bringing you  fresh produce throughout the seasons.  Ross  practices Integrated Pest Management and crop rotation, he uses biological insecticides along with composting and conventional fertilizers.  

Farming is hard work and it shows  when you  take a stroll through Pearl Alley on market days. The amount of fresh foods and plants is admirable.  There is nothing better than to buy fresh and buy local! Most farmers markets are a once a week event. Pearl Market offers two days a week to support these vendors, Tuesday and Friday’s from 10:30am to 2:00pm.    Don’t miss out…purchase some fresh peas before the season is over.   Here is a great recipe using fresh picked peas. You can also find most of (if not all) of the other ingredients at the Pearl Market. 

Summer Pea Salad
By The Gourmet Farm Girl

 
3 cups fresh peas (shelled)
1/4 cup chopped carrots
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Ohio honey
Pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper
3 strips smoked bacon
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup cubed parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

In a medium size stock pot bring 5 cups of lightly salted water to a full boil; blanch peas and carrots for 1 minute in the hot water; drain and cool in a bowl of ice water.  Once cool, drain again and set aside.

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper; set aside

Cook the bacon till crisp; drain on a  paper towel and cut into pieces.

Mix the peas and carrots with the onion, cheese, bacon and cilantro. Pour dressing over the mixture and toss to coat.

Will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Serves 6-8