In season: field peas

9 a.m. Saturday, July 19. Chef Drew Van Leuvan of Seven Lamps, working with cucumbers. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com.

10 a.m. Saturday, July 19. Chef E. J. Hodgkinson of JCT Kitchen. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com.

Chef demos are held at many farmers markets. Check your local market’s Facebook page or website for information.

For sale at local farmers markets

Just arriving at markets: corn, field peas, lambs quarters

Vegetables, fruit and nuts: arugula, Asian greens, beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, carrots, chard, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, field peas, garlic, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, lambs quarters, leeks, lettuce, Malabar spinach, melons, mushrooms, okra, onions, peaches, pecans, peppers, plums, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, shallots, spinach, spring onions, squash blossoms, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips

From local reports

Field peas and butter beans like crowders, black-eyed peas, lady peas and pink-eyed peas are just coming to market this year. Because they love a long, hot growing season, they’re well suited for growing in this area. Southern Seed Legacy and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange offer dozens of varieties of peas all grown in the Deep South for many generations.

Don Mills of Mollyville Farms grows “Pinkeye Purple Hull” southern peas, a family favorite. “Growing up, it was the only pea my mom would eat. If there are any peas we don’t sell, I know I have a market at home with my mom,” he said.

Pink-eyed peas, like black-eyed peas, are named for the “eyes” or the hilum, the point where the pea is attached to the pod.

Mills and his wife Maggie farm in Eatonton on 25 acres that belonged to his mom. They offer a variety of Certified Naturally Grown vegetables including summer standards such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, corn and potatoes.

Mills says he’s been farming off and on since he was a little kid. Now he and Maggie raise about an acre of vegetables for their customers at the Saturday morning Brookhaven Farmers Market as well as the farm’s small community supported agriculture program that serves customers in Putnam County and the Lake Oconee area. On another three acres, the Mills raise goats and from time to time, pigs and cows.

So far this year, they’ve planted four 50- to 60-foot rows of peas and plan to put in more. “We try to plant about 100 feet every week. We started in late May and will still be planting through the end of July or first of August. That way we’ll have peas right up until frost.”

The Mills sell their peas in the shell, which in this case is a purple hull. They bring their pea sheller to market, and once you’ve made your purchase, they’ll gladly shell them for you unless you want to go home and spend a contemplative afternoon shelling your own. A half-pound basket of peas in the hull will yield about a cup of shelled peas.

Their peas are always sold fresh in the shell. The peas will hold up on the plants for about a week so they don’t require harvesting every day like green beans, but if left too long, they’ll get starchy. So the Mills plant in manageable rows and can bring just-right peas to market for many weeks.

Field peas, no matter the variety, pair well with salty, porky and herbal backdrops. They’re prized for their creamy texture and go well with Southern and Italian seasonings. They are also delicious with coconut milk, ginger and other Asian flavorings. Mills says at his house, the Southern style, cooked with a bit of pork fat, generally wins.

E.J. Hodgkinson’s Pink-Eyed Pea Gratin

Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour Serves: 12

E.J. Hodgkinson has been executive chef at JCT Kitchen since January 2013. He continues the restaurant’s focus on Southern favorites taken up a notch, and on partnering with area farmers to bring the best local produce to the restaurant’s tables. He’ll be doing the chef demo Saturday at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market.

2 pounds pink-eyed peas

1 carrot, peeled

1 celery rib

1/2 Vidalia onion, peeled

1/2 cup kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups heavy cream

1 bunch parsley, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Pepper

Fried Onion Pickles (see recipe)

Spicy Tomato Vinegar (see recipe)

Put peas in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the carrot, celery and onion. Bring mixture to a boil and turn down to a simmer. As the peas cook, a foam will form on top. Periodically skim off the foam and discard. Once the peas have softened, about 25 minutes, but still have a little bite, remove from the heat. Allow to cool in the cooking liquid. Add 1/2 cup salt while the liquid is still hot, stirring to dissolve. This will season the peas as they cool, and they will last longer if kept in their initial cooking liquid. Discard carrot, onion and celery. Leave peas in cooking liquid until ready to use. If you’ll be keeping the peas in the cooking liquid longer than an hour, cut the salt to 1/4 cup.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, make sauce by melting butter then whisking in flour. Reduce heat to low and cook approximately 10 minutes to make a blond roux, whisking frequently. The roux should smell like toasted bread and have thinned a little. Add the cream all at once and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Maintain low temperature, and after about 10 minutes, the mixture should begin to thicken. It is ready when it coats a metal spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Drain peas and discard cooking liquid. In a large bowl, combine peas, parsley, lemon juice and sauce. Spoon into prepared baking dish and bake 30 minutes or until mixture is bubbling and top is golden brown. Serve with Fried Onion Pickles and Spicy Tomato Vinegar.

Per serving: 364 calories (percent of calories from fat, 76), 6 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 32 grams fat (20 grams saturated), 114 milligrams cholesterol, 509 milligrams sodium.

E.J. Hodgkinson’s Fried Onion Pickles

Hands on: 20 Total time: 25 Serves: 12

2 red onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

Canola oil, for frying

Place onions in a medium metal mixing bowl.

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and pour over onions. Let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper and remaining tablespoon salt.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large straight-sided skillet to 350 degrees. Drain onions and discard soaking liquid.

When oil is ready, toss onions in flour mixture and carefully slide into hot oil. Do not crowd skillet. Fry in batches if needed. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and season liberally with salt and pepper. Continue with remaining onions. Serve immediately. Discard remaining breading mixture.

Per serving: 160 calories (percent of calories from fat, 51), 1 gram protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 224 milligrams sodium.

E.J. Hodgkinson’s Spicy Tomato Vinegar

Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 20 minutes plus cooling time Serves: 1 1/2 cups

2 cups apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup sundried tomatoes

2 chiles de arbol

Salt

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, sundried tomatoes and chiles. Bring to a boil and cook until tomatoes and chiles soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In the jar of a blender, process vinegar mixture on high speed until smooth. Season to taste. May be made up to 1 month ahead of time and refrigerated.

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 25 calories (percent of calories from fat, 7), 1 gram protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 144 milligrams sodium.