Shelling peas

I grew up preparing whatever fresh vegetables my grandparents grew in their large garden - shucking corn, shelling peas and beans, stringing snaps (green beans to you Northern folk), etc. I decided it was time for my own kids to learn these skills, so I purchased some purple hull peas (very similar to black eyed peas) from the farmer's market and put them to work.

They both got into and did a good job (Grayson didn't want to be photographed!), and I think it was rewarding for them to eat a dinner they worked hard to help prepare. I think it is important for kids to know where food comes from (not a can!) and how it gets from point A to point B. This is also a good lesson in manual labor!

I didn't get many peas because I didn't want to overwhelm them their first time, and I didn't want to do the work for them. When they were done, I washed them and simmered them for about an hour with a few spices. Most people around here will cook them with some sort of pork, but I wasn't cooking a large enough quantity to justify that. The family enjoyed them, and the kids learned a new skill.

My dad's snaps/green beans will be coming in soon, so that will be the next lesson...stay tuned!