From the time my husband and I met he always spoke of his Grandmother fondly. From spending his visits in the back acre to the many family gatherings spent at her home but there was always with great admiration to one specific recipe. It was one I had never had nor heard of in both adolescence or adulthood. He speaks about how it was something he always remembered about visiting her house, how it would be the one thing he always loved and she always knew to make. For over four years I have heard about this loving expression of food and I had yet to experience it for myself. That is, until a few weeks ago.
I was finally going to be let into their little secret. I was finally going to be able to know the joy that had greeted my man's plate all these years. I was invited over for lunch and Grandma J was making her famous creamed peas on toast.
When I asked where she had come up with the idea I was told that it was something she had been made as a child. This recipe had been brought down through the generations and now it was being passed on through her grandchildren. It felt like I had been given the key to the magic wardrobe.
We sat at the table chatting while she whipped it up without a second thought. Béchamel sauce, peas, toast. It all seemed so simple but being there to experience it from start to finish was like getting a front row seat to a critically acclaimed show. There was no measuring or calculating but the simplicity of years of practice. Years of doing this for her family and years of watching it be made for herself years before.
I was finally going to be let into their little secret. I was finally going to be able to know the joy that had greeted my man's plate all these years. I was invited over for lunch and Grandma J was making her famous creamed peas on toast.
When I asked where she had come up with the idea I was told that it was something she had been made as a child. This recipe had been brought down through the generations and now it was being passed on through her grandchildren. It felt like I had been given the key to the magic wardrobe.
We sat at the table chatting while she whipped it up without a second thought. Béchamel sauce, peas, toast. It all seemed so simple but being there to experience it from start to finish was like getting a front row seat to a critically acclaimed show. There was no measuring or calculating but the simplicity of years of practice. Years of doing this for her family and years of watching it be made for herself years before.
It couldn't have been better if I had wished it so. With years of anticipation, this meal failed to disappoint. We sat at the white kitchen table while talking of the day, the meal, the future and all the while taking part in this decades long tradition of creamed peas on toast.
While driving home from this glorious visit I was feeling inspired to recreate this dish with a different twist. For a few weeks now I've been toying with ingredients to keep the integrity of the original recipe while also bringing in new light and finally decided to do a creation based on three different flavour profiles.
I knew I wanted to keep with the tradition of green peas for at least one but also wanted to throw some colour into the mix which is when I was struck by the idea of yellow split peas. To couple it with an equally stunning colour I wanted to use my favourite squash known by it's many names from Red Kuri, to Baby Red Hubbard, to Red October but no matter what you call it, it always sits in my heart as the favourite.
I wanted flavour, crunch, spice - and all the hominess that the original recipe holds.
Ingredients
Peas #1 :
1 14 oz can assorted size peas
5 packed tbsp. fresh dill, chopped finely
1 clove grated garlic (finely minced would work as well)
Handful slivered almonds
1 tbsp. coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Peas #2
1 14 oz can assorted size peas
Zest of 1/2 organic lemon
Juice of 1/2 organic lemon
1 loose handful fresh basil, rough chopped
1 tbsp. coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Peas #3
1 cup dried yellow split peas
1 cup diced Red Kuri squash
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt to taste
*For Peas #1 and #2 you will also need 1 1/2 cups plant-based milk (I used almond) and 4 tbsp. flour combined. Don't forget to use your favourite bread for the toast! I used a potato, chive focaccia bread.
Peas #3
Combine yellow split peas and Kuri squash to 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once peas and squash are softened, approximately 45 minutes, add the spices and stir to combine. I added a splash of almond milk to this mix just to add some creaminess to it but this is completely optional. No flour is needed.
Peas #1
On medium-low heat add the coconut oil and garlic to a medium sized pot. Cook until fragrant and add the dill. Once combined lower heat, add the peas and 1/2 of the flour/almond milk mix and stir until it begins to thicken.
Peas #2
On medium-low heat add the coconut oil and basil to a medium sized pot. Add the lemon zest and cook until fragrant. Add the peas and lemon juice and stir until combined. Lower heat and add the remaining flour/almond milk mix and stir until it begins to thicken.
Set oven to 350º, cut bread and place in oven. On a separate sheet add your slivered almonds and place in the oven to toast. Keep an eye on them so they do not burn. This can also be done in a pan on the stovetop while continually tossing them.
Once the toast is ready, it's time to start topping your slices with your peas! Add extra lemon zest on top of your basil mix, slivered almonds on the dill and a dash of spices with black sesame seeds to your squash. Give the whole deal a drizzle with organic flax oil and you're set.
All in all I hoped it held up to the homage of my new lawful grandparent, and that there is importance in these recipes that get handed down through families and generations no matter how complex in assembly or simple in their ingredients.
Eat with joy and eat with love.