Fresh Spring Peas

People  moan that there are no more seasons. Yet, one place the seasons still exist are on the district markets. As the weather heats up the produce shifts. The winter artichokes dwindle away as the first broad beans appear. Around mid April peas will pile up on the stalls around the same time as asparagus start being discounted. There's a short window of time to make the Vignarola - Spring vegetable stew.

More and more tomatoes of different varieties take up space on the stalls: merinda, datterini, picadilly, ciliegine, canone, cuore di bue, green, red, yellow or black, smooth or wrinkled, round or oval, big or small with the queen of them all the pacchino. The plump deep purple aubergines that seem to thrive all year are joined by their slimmer counterparts. The dark winter courgettes are replaced by pale green courgettes still bearing their flowers. In another corner of the stall, large bunches of the zucchini flowers are gathered ready to be bought and stuffed for deep-fried Fiori di Zucca. The bitter leaves of the winter season get replaced by salads: small round ones, larger oval fronded Roman ones and curly fronded frisées. Spring onions and fragrant fresh garlic jostle for attention.

But what always draws my eye are the large heaps of fresh peas usually next to a large basket of fresh broad beans.To tell the truth, for many years fresh peas were not a vegetable I associated with Rome, they conjured up images of lamb with a mint sauce so very British, or the delicious p'etits pois à la française' that my mother would prepare in the late spring. I also hadn't realised that they are of the type blink and you'll miss 'em. In the Spring it's important to go to market as often as possible, skip a week and peas may all be gone!

Peas are the protagonists of  the famous 'risi e bisi' dish - the one I've dubbed the Italian rice dish that isn't a risotto. It is basically what it's name says it is, rice and peas. It is especially flavoursome if the stock used  comes from boiling the pea pods, however any vegetable stock may be used. It originates from the Veneto, the peas are the emblem of Spring while the rice symbolises fertility. It is traditional to eat it on the 25th April, the feast of San Marco.

In Puglia, in Altamura, the minestra di piselli di Altamura is made, combining peas with broken strands of spaghetti in a broth. Peas are also found in Sicilian arancini. (deep fried rice balls).  Or in various Spring soups. Or in oven baked sformati (soft moulded crustless pies) Or alongside cuttlefish. Or in Spring pasta dishes. Or with mint, even in Italy!  

After all, who doesn't like peas?