Boxes were packed, lugged then unpacked into familiar pieces of furniture. The light is gorgeous. Perfection, I hope, and much to learn. There is a lemon tree, recently trimmed but ripe with fruit, a vast expanse of grass which the dog adores and what may, if we are lucky, turn out to be a large plum. I suspect one of the blossoming trees to be a healthy pear and there are two – that’s right, two – crabapples. It is quiet; it is calm. But it’s not quite home. Yet.
A propensity toward unsentimentality served me well. There was a lot of culling this move – seven boxes of cookbooks alone. However did I end up with so many? Greed, obviously. Honing the collection none too carefully has been hugely, wildly, enjoyable. Only the useful, the unusual and the well-loved remain. Tamasin Day-Lewis’ enthusiasm for roasting road-kill is, largely, what saved her. Her badger-feast in Where Shall We Go for Dinner? is, like watching a train crash, awful but impossible to tear yourself from. Nigella’s first two stayed, every Deborah Madison and all of Nigel Slater’s, the eccentric Thirst being rescued from a reject pile at the eleventh hour only because of Angela Moore’s stunning photographic approach. A lucky reprieve.
Then there is Colin Spencer. He who can make you brush your ratty hair into a neat, high pony-tail and head off to the market whistling, list in hand, where you know the first peas by early October must have arrived. Despite the kilo I brought home setting me back close to twenty bucks, theirs is a short, sweet season. Money well-spent, I'd say.
‘Podding is a fulfilling task’, claims Spencer, ‘which most people enjoy’. If buying organic, do factor in a loss of roughly 10 percent which will, undoubtedly, house little green caterpillars. Such is the nature of the organic beast, I’m afraid. You will probably not know from pod to pod, that is until you sink a thumbnail in and rudely awaken a wriggler from his cocooned slumber. Vegetarians beware – even cautious, watchful podding can be insecticide. It takes twenty minutes or so for one person to pod half a kilo, so treat the task as a meditation of sorts. In a delicious shaft of sunlight if possible. Therapy for a weary person, who hopes not to see another box for at least twelve months.
Pois St Germain – feeds 2
This simple dish of vegetables is a divine way to enjoy fresh spring peas. Frozen, for once, simply will not do. Adapted from The Vegetable Book.
500g (1 lb) of fresh peas
1 cos lettuce (romaine)
1 small onion
3 spring onions
3 baby carrots
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Big pinch of brown sugar
1 large glass of dry white wine
1 tablespoon of butter or extra virgin olive oil
Parsley, chopped, to garnish
Crusty bread, to serve
Pod the peas. Separate the lettuce leaves, wash well, shake dry and chop them very roughly. Peel and slice the onion; trim and slice the spring onions and carrots. Take out a large saucepan and cover its base completely with the lettuce leaves. Top with the onions, the carrots, then sprinkle with the salt and sugar. Pour in the wine, add the podded peas and, lastly, the butter. Place the lid on tightly and cook, undisturbed, over a low heat for 25-30 minutes by which time all should be tender and juicy.
Eat from soup plates, preferably outside, garnished with parsley, mopping up the delicious winey juices with crusty, buttered bread.
This goes out to Sra of When My Soup Came Alive, this month's gorgeous host of Susan's baby, My Legume Love Affair.
Lovely to have you back Lucy. New place, new photos and (of course) a gorgeous new recipe.
Very brave of you to cull cookery books - how could you bear it?
Posted by: kathryn | October 18, 2008 at 10:12 AM
moving can really help you discover that which you already own. but, i can't help but feel jealous that ocotber means spring to you.
Posted by: maybelles mom (feeding maybelle) | October 18, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Welcome back, Lucy! Your new home sounds just divine--look at that light in the photo! And I can understand having to winnow out the dross--but somehow could never imagine throwing away cookbooks (I've still kept even the old ones I know I'll never use again--maybe next move) ;)
And clearly, I can never pod fresh organic peas--I'd have a coronary if I came across one of those caterpillars! The recipe sounds delicious, though. . .
Posted by: Ricki | October 18, 2008 at 11:58 AM
What a stunning and unique recipe! This makes me long for spring (darn you, southern hemisphere!). Lovely photos, as per usual. Looking forward to more.
Posted by: court | October 18, 2008 at 03:37 PM
Welcome back. Love the new light in the photos. I abhor peas but you make them look quite delicious :)
Posted by: another outspoken female | October 18, 2008 at 07:07 PM
Glad to hear you're settling in just fine (it always takes a while to make somewhere feel like home).
Know just what you mean about Nigel's Thirst. Never make anything from it but somehow still couldn't manage to chuck it in my mini cull last month!
Posted by: Sophie | October 19, 2008 at 12:12 AM
Welcome to what will become home. You've made a gorgeous start so far.
You're finished unpacking? Seriously? We still have boxes to go.
Posted by: Christina | October 19, 2008 at 09:16 AM
glad to hear your new home is taking shape. Strange how I love podding peas but have just been berating broad beans which I dilike podding so much - I guess nostalgia helps! And those little caterpillars are so cute - provided they don't make their way into the saucepan!
Posted by: Johanna | October 19, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Did I just hear you say crabapples?
Oh, God, how wonderful.
You did good, Lucy.
There may be hope for me, yet.
Posted by: shula | October 19, 2008 at 02:48 PM
Good to hear you're settling in to your new home. Fruit trees and a big back yard. Sigh. How wonderful.
That looks like a sensational recipe!
We're loving peas at the moment. Managed to get a big bagful from CERES this week, and my 6 year old relishes podding them all, (although I lose more than 10% to her nibbling them in the process). Fortunately, despite the organic factor, we haven't discovered any caterpillars this year. Dunno why, but it's very good indeed.
Posted by: docwitch | October 19, 2008 at 08:49 PM
Welcome back Lucy. I hope you enjoy your new home.
I guess I am even greedier than you, as I simply cannot part with cookbooks :) Mind you, even I don't have seven boxes worth!
Posted by: Lisa | October 20, 2008 at 06:17 AM
I like the sound of peas plunking into the bowl...ahhh home!
Posted by: Callipygia | October 20, 2008 at 07:13 AM
I was marvelling over the photos, feeling happy for you in your new home and imagining myself shelling peas too, until you mentioned the bugs. Ugh! Daydream over.
Posted by: holler | October 20, 2008 at 08:47 AM
You. Culled. Cook. Books?
My respect for you has just risen to new levels. :)
And that dish sounds wonderfully fresh. Must try it out. :)
Posted by: Wendy | October 20, 2008 at 07:09 PM
Such a nice way to highlight fresh peas. Yum.
Posted by: Jude | October 21, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Another lemon tree. You struck gold...again. And those crabs - are they in bloom yet? Perhaps too early, but you have many warm months to discover all the gifts of your new garden.
Peas are delightful. I have a husband who hates them, so we just won't tell him. ; )
Posted by: Susan | October 21, 2008 at 11:21 PM
As a child I hated peas. Now I know better. This is a lovely recipe and your photos, as always, are beautiful.
Posted by: Simona | October 22, 2008 at 06:21 AM
I was worried you were loosing that magnificent light of your last kitchen and completely forgetting that the light follows you. I had not a thing to worry about. The pictures are gorgeous. You've thown me for a loop however with the fact you cooked the lettuce. I read the recipe three times and each time you put the lettuce in the pot and turned on the heat for a long time. And it sounds like you ate it and liked it although I can't make it work in my imagination. But you wouldn't have broadcast it if it wasn't succulent which make me curious. Fortunately it's fall here and not spring so I've got some time to think about actually giving it a try.
Posted by: katrina | October 22, 2008 at 05:23 PM
You're a brave woman, Lucy. I have never thrown away a cookbook, believing that if it has a single usable recipe it is worth keeping.
Love the light in your new kitchen. And all those fruit trees - I'm envious!
Posted by: Rosa | October 23, 2008 at 03:33 AM
Fresh peas are such a pleasure, aren't they? In India, even if they are not organic, they contain nice, fat green creatures!
And I have begun giving away cookbooks, I have too many and don't use many of them. Thanks so much for the entry, Lucy, and good luck with the settling down into the new house!
Posted by: sra | October 26, 2008 at 10:26 PM