I’m cooking Easter dinner for the first time this year for a bunch of friends!
I’m excited to test out some of the beautiful new dishes and placemats that we’ve gotten as {early} wedding gifts. I’ll be making Heather Christo’s apricot glazed ham, roasted carrots with honey ginger glaze, homemade biscuits and these peas! I knew immediately after tasting them earlier this week when I tested the recipe that I HAD to re-make on Sunday. They are just that good, and so not weird and old fashioned. I don’t know about you guys, but when I think of peas, I usually think of baby food. Not very appetizing. But I promise these are different — a totally grown up dish that will complement any spring table.
You want to know the secret? Using fresh {not frozen!} peas and sauteing the onion in bacon grease. The small addition of creme fraiche pulls the whole dish together with a bit of creamy tang.
You’ll appreciate that this dish comes together in under half an hour. I bought one of those little baggies of fresh English peas from Trader Joe’s and it worked perfect! These peas are only available for a very short time during the spring, so grab ’em now.
If you can’t find creme fraiche, use sour cream but I found it, also, at Trader Joe’s! Man, I love that place. It’s gotten to the point where I just don’t think I could live in a place without one — I rely on them that much. Plus, they are an amazing company that donates ALL the food I cook with at the nonprofit ministry I volunteer at. Literally, four big Trader Joe’s trucks come every week full of fabulous organic produce, meat, pasta and eggs for us to use. Amazing.
You can find this recipe over at the PBS Food blog — have a very blessed Easter, my friends!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
March 29, 2013 at 2:35 amI’ve bought a couple bags of those peas from TJs this spring already! I never had tried them in pasts and am so glad I tossed them in my cart on a whim because their flavor is just awesome. I am loading up while I can because the season is so short. Great job using them with the creme fraiche. Mmm, good!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic
March 29, 2013 at 5:58 amAnything with bacon and creme fraiche sounds like a winning dish!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
March 29, 2013 at 6:09 amThis is going to sound weird but I love peas! I remember that when my parents used to buy the pea/carrot/bean/corn mixture of chopped veggies, I’d always eat my peas out of it first. Now I love using fresh ones in spring dishes – this sounds delicious! Have a Happy Easter Jenna, and enjoy your feast with your friends! 🙂
Tieghan
March 29, 2013 at 6:29 amI love peas and these look to die for!!
kayleigh
March 29, 2013 at 6:45 amtieghan, i LOVE the spelling of your name! it is so pretty! random, i know, but figured i’d tell ya!
Liz @ Tip Top Shape
March 29, 2013 at 6:46 amI want some of these right now!! Looks amazing!!!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
March 29, 2013 at 6:46 amI don’t think I’ve ever seen fresh peas. I do love them though! Have a good Easter!
Becky
March 29, 2013 at 7:13 amPeas have become my favorite vegetable lately and I absolutely don’t associate them with baby food. While I am not a fan of bacon {I know I am probably the only person in existence not on the bacon bandwagon!}, my favorite grown-up way to prepare them is topped with butter, feta and black pepper. But now I will definitely have to try them with crème fraiche.
I totally agree with your love of Trader Joe’s. It also makes me happy to learn that they are a major contributor to feeding the homeless and less fortunate through the ministry you volunteer with.
Happy Easter!
Elisabeth
March 29, 2013 at 7:31 amHappy Easter, Jenna!
Mr. & Mrs. P
March 29, 2013 at 7:37 amLove the vibrant green color.. What a great side dish!!
Jane {In the Pink and Green}
March 29, 2013 at 7:43 amI love peas, they’re one of my favorite veggies! And creme fraiche and bacon make anything taste amazing so this dish seems like a winner, which is awesome because I always have a tough time coming up with side dishes! Have a blessed Easter Jenna! xo
jan
March 29, 2013 at 7:54 amPeas + bacon sound like a match made in Heaven. How perfect for a holiday meal!
Malkire
March 29, 2013 at 8:16 amWhen it comes to peas I am such a kid and just love them so much! This recipe will be a create adult upgrade =)
joelle (on a pink typewriter)
March 29, 2013 at 8:22 amI did NOT know that about Trader Joe’s! Makes me love them even more!
Jodea @ chillichocolatelove.com
March 29, 2013 at 8:23 amPeas – love ’em! Have you tried pea and ham soup? Yum!
Joshua Hampton (Cooking Classes San Diego)
March 29, 2013 at 9:28 amI actually love peas, and this is a great pea recipe. I’ll eat almost anything with bacon, too. Pea+bacon=yum.
Emily
March 29, 2013 at 9:47 amPerfect! I was trying to think of another side dish for E-Day Dinner. This is just the thing, thanks!
Happy Easter!
Michelle
March 29, 2013 at 10:03 amThese look delicious! I wish my husband’s family would eat peas so I could make them for Sunday’s Easter potluck.
Beth @ Tasty Yummies
March 29, 2013 at 11:09 amThis looks amazing. I have to look for those peas asap! I have become obsessed with their fresh cooked lentils. I buy those on every trip and I LOVE them. So versatile and so much faster!
Miss Kim @ behgopa
March 29, 2013 at 1:27 pmI heart peas. I did not like them too much when I was a kid…most of my childhood pea memories consist of them being in the cafeteria lunches in elementary school…bland and boring.
But these days, the pea dishes I’ve been consuming are more refined and definitely a lot more tasty. Last night at my work, we had a tasting menu that started with a pea/mint velouté for the amuse bouche.
Caroline L.
March 29, 2013 at 1:42 pmI don’t know what I’d do without a Trader Joe’s! And this looks like such a trusty recipe – you can’t go wrong with bacon! 🙂
Jane @ Not Plain So Jane
March 29, 2013 at 6:54 pmI seriously can not wait until I get out of my tiny studio apt. & can have a cooking weekend and try all these recipes you’ve been posting!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl
March 29, 2013 at 7:21 pmI have a weird obsession with peas, so this sounds fabulous! I would love to try it, but with vegetarian “bacon” or tempeh “bacon.”
Carl
March 31, 2013 at 8:25 amI have to admit peas are not my favorite either. Adding a little bacon to the mix might help them go down easier 🙂
Heidi - Apples Under My Bed
March 31, 2013 at 3:52 pmfresh peas + creme fraiche = bliss. Happy Easter!
Heidi xo
Laura
March 31, 2013 at 10:19 pmMy British friends in college used to make peas and bacon all of the time and I became an ardent follower as a poor college student. I figured it combined a veggie and protein and thus became a dinner staple in between pay checks! I can’t wait to make them with the creme fraiche for a grown up twist!
The Spatularettes
April 1, 2013 at 1:42 pmHi Jenna! I was only cooking Easter dinner for two this year, but its such a special holiday that I still wanted a special meal (even if we did eat it on the couch while watching The Hunger Games). Anyhoo, we were both BLOWN AWAY by how good this simple salad was! I wasn’t able to find English Peas at my market so I subbed in some shelled edamame. It was a rock star of a dish that I totally plan to make for picnics this summer as well!
Teri
April 1, 2013 at 5:07 pm*mope* I would get a chance to read *after* Easter. We had the same idea, I made creamed peas and had been thinking about adding bacon. Ours was good even without bacon but I have a feeling these were even better. I’ll have to give them a try to find out. 🙂
Liz
April 1, 2013 at 8:40 pmThose peas look amazing! Here’s a tip, though, which you might already know, for using frozen peas and getting excellent results. First, of course, get the highest quality frozen peas you can find (usually not the store brand), and make sure they haven’t been sitting around for a year in your freezer. Some peas are overly starchy, hard, or are split or split easily.
Then, just stick the frozen peas in a colander and run cool water over them, shaking the colander a bit. You can run some warmer water over, too, but don’t use hot. Keep doing that until they thaw, which happens quite quickly. The result – plump and fresh peas which can actually be almost indistinguishable from fresh peas in flavor and texture. They do not need to be cooked! I do this a lot for peas I add to, say, a macaroni salad.
Grace
April 2, 2013 at 12:38 amOh my goodness, Jenna!
I made these peas for dinner just now (subbed with cream cheese bc thats what I had!) and it was SO SO SO GOOD!
i want MORE!!! Can’t wait to make these again at the weekend when away with friends! Sure to impress but so so easy!