About this Recipe

One of my most favorite things as a little girl was wandering through my Grandmother’s garden during the peak of summer and spying the climbing pea bushes dripping with fat green pods ready to be picked, snapped and consumed on the spot. I could spend what felt like hours picking handfuls of these green packets of goodness, always marveling as I opened up their seams the round sweet green treasures inside. My Grandmother would join us to pick a basket of them and sit on the porch shelling the pearls out of their pods as the hummingbirds and butterflies flew by. Time didn’t exist. Just us together giggling, sneaking handfuls of shelled peas in our mouths and the sweet perfection of nature. Looking back at these moments brings sweetness into my heart and reminds me to savor the small things. As a kid, it was so natural to be consumed by the present moment. To feel the sensations of summer: the smells of morning grass, the tingly warmth of the warm sun, the squirrels chattering nearby. As an adult, these past moment act as teachers and reminders to allow myself to dive into the precious and potent present and soak up it’s sweetness.

Grandmothers’ TIPS for Creamy Pea Salad Recipe:

1. Don’t overcook the peas, just a short 1-2 minute soft boil is enough. Peas can be eaten raw, so the cooking is just to soften them a tiny bit.

2. Some recipes do not call for cooking the peas, however we liked the flavor and texture better when the peas had been cooked for 2 minutes.

3. The nice thing about this salad recipe is you can make it the night before you need it and chill it in your fridge until you want to serve it. That way you don't have to do a lot of work the day of a meal to have a great salad.

4. This creamy pea salad is a wonderful compliment to foods such as mashed potatoes adding color and compatible flavors to other simple dishes.

To ensure that you’re not using peas with mold on them, you can use canned or frozen peas. If you’re using fresh peas, make sure that they are completely fresh and straight from the grocery store. Remove the peas from their shell right away instead of leaving them in the shell where mold could be more susceptible to grow. Then, after your recipe is prepared to make sure you eat it right away or put it in the fridge until you eat it. If you do happen to come across some mold on your peas, it’s probably best to throw the pods with mold on them away, or the entire batch away depending on how widespread the mold is. It’s best to be safe than sorry when it comes to mold and the mycotoxins you can ingest from the mold.

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Ingredients

(Print)

Makes: 8 1/2 cup size Servings

4 cups frozen peas, thawed and cooked for 2 minutes

3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, small cut cubes

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, small cut cubes

1/2 small red onion, cut into small pieces

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Put the peas into water bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes. Strain the water out. Don't overcook. Set aside to cool down while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients.

2. Cut the bacon strips into small pieces about 1/4 inch wide.

3. Place bacon into a frying pan and cook until well done and crispy. Scoop the cooked bacon bits onto a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.

4. Chop the cheese into small cubes. You can use more or less cheese than we have indicated. Set aside.

5. Cut the onion into thin small pieces.

6. Into a mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, onions and cheese cubes and stir to combine.

7. Stir in salt and pepper.

8. Fold in the peas about half at a time using a spatula. Combine well.

9. Fold in the bacon.

10. Refrigerate until serving.

ENJOY!

Return to this Creamy Pea Salad recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

Even though many people love peas, there are those who don't like them at all. So it's great that there are recipes like this green pea salad recipe that attempts to conceal the peas in a tasty dressing to make them more palatable for those who dislike them. Even people who hate peas have loved this salad.

For those that enjoy peas, this might just become a new favourite side dish. Green pea salad recipes provide a nice change from the typical potato or pasta salads we often make to be side dishes.

In the winter months, I feel so lucky for modern technology and the ability to pull a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer and make this easy creamy pea salad recipe.

As for clean up, after you’re finished making your recipe, the best cleaning products for kitchen cleaning tend to be vinegar if you want something natural. Vinegar is versatile and gentle enough to use on countertops, dishes, pans, pots, in your microwave, on your stove and in your oven to disinfect and clean. It’s also acidic which means it can break down any stuck on gunk and grime making it easier for you to clean.

Make your very own natural kitchen cleaners for less by mixing equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and adding a drop of your favorite dish soap. You can also add some lemon essential oil to give it a nice scent and to cut through the strong vinegar scent too. This natural kitchen cleaner costs pennies to make and will last a long time.