Garden Peas, and the Sound of Summer

My mum used to grow a small patch of pea plants along the back — they'd twine their way up bamboo sticks she gently pressed into the soil. It’s been years since she last planted them. Garden peas were one of the few things she always grew, year after year.

Fresh garden peas — sometimes called English peas — are nothing like the ones from the freezer. They’re a pop of sweet green, firm and sun-warmed. The snap of the pod as you split it open, the way each little pea nestles inside like tiny beads — it all feels like raw, sun-kissed goodness.

They come in during the heat of summer, and if you’re not careful, you’ll graze on them all before you’ve picked enough to actually cook with. You can eat them straight from the plant, handfuls at a time. But if you pick them every other day, they stay young, tender, and sweet — and the harvest lasts a few weeks.

You can pick them early as pea shoots for salads — though every time I try, my mum gives me that look: you have to wait for them to grow.

I toss them into pasta salads, sprinkle them over hummus (I know, but trust me — the pop of sweetness works), or freeze them in a zip-lock bag for a rainy day.

I remember shelling peas on the old concrete bench, legs folded, lap full of pods. My grandad sat beside me, helping.

My mum was cooking inside — her quiet rhythm in the kitchen was always there, in the background.

I’d pull the pods apart, one by one, and pop each pea into my mouth like a tiny sweet. It felt like treasure.

Frozen peas? Still good. Just don’t overcook.

• Microwave: 15–20 seconds max — then add butter, a pinch of salt, lemon zest, and mint if you have it. Simple, but it hits.

• Sugar snaps are cousins — but not a replacement.

• Pea shoots: grassy, sweet, and a lovely raw crunch in salads.

My food. My canvas. My chronicles.

garden peas · seasonal summer vegetables · childhood food memories · green peas in recipes · nostalgic ingredient post · easy vegetable sides