Pink Ladies

Pink Ladies

Pink ladies are another type of field pea prized in the South.
If you look closely you can see these peas have an eye
with a pink blush next to the eye, hence pink ladies.

I use the same basic recipe for most of my field pea recipes.
Start with six slices of bacon cut up into small pieces.
Sauté the bacon, add one chopped onion, then chopped tomatoes.
I added about twenty quartered cherry tomatoes from my garden.
Add about four cups of pink ladies and four cups of water.
Add one teaspoon of ground black pepper, 
one teaspoon of dried thyme, one teaspoon of dried oregano,

quarter cup of dried parsley and bring to a simmer.
I grow and dry the herbs which I use in my cooking.
Add one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce,
and sweet chili sauce. Simmer for at least one hour.
I've begun adding salt at the end of cooking
because I read adding salt at the beginning makes beans
and peas clam up and prevent them from becoming tender.

I made the peas this evening and when cool I refrigerated them.
Tomorrow I'll reheat the peas, add the salt and adjust the seasoning.
Cooking, cooling, then reheating yields a more flavorful dish.
Field peas are a nutritional powerhouse.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, just leave out the bacon.
Enjoy !