So I ended up doing a Chef Demo today for the EcoCouncil at Art Center College of Design. I spoke about the sustainability programs we have happening at Art Center and how Sodexo cares about the impact we make on the environment. The idea behind my demo was to showcase an item that could be grown in the Art Center garden and what they could do with it in the kitchen. Something other than just boiling them to death and adding butter.  I ended up with the following dish. This is a simple recipe that can used to create a unique appetizer or tray passed delight.

English Pea Puree on Garlic Toast Points & Garnished with Feta Cheese & Roasted Red Peppers

Ingredients:

English Peas (I used Local, Sustainable, & Organic)
Garlic
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Red Pepper Flake
Feta Cheese
Garlic Toast Point (Recipe to follow)
Roasted Red Pepper (Canned is ok)
Parsley (Curly or Italian Flat leaf is ok)
Lemons for Lemon Juice (Amount varies by taste)
S&P
Water

Equipment:

Food Processor
Pot
Strainer
Spatula

Prep:

-Clean your English Peas – Meaning remove the Peas from the Pod
-Remove Garlic Clove and take off stem and skin
-Crumble Feta Cheese
-Make Roasted Peppers (unless you are using canned) & Small Dice
-Mince Parsley
-Squeeze lemons for juice
-Make Garlic Toast Points

Procedure:
-Blanch English Peas – Add to bowling water with a little salt. Cook for 2-4 minutes until tender with a little bit of a bite to them.
-Remove peas from pot and strain out water.
-Run Pea under cold running water or “Shock” them in an ice-water bath (Ice with water)
-Once cool, set aside
-Add peas to Food Processor
-Add cloves of garlic (I used about 5 for 2cups of peas; I like garlic!)
-Add some salt and pepper
-Add Red Pepper Flakes (I like it spicy so I added about 1T for 2cups of peas)
-Add a little lemon juice (bout 1T)
-Add Water (about 2T)
-Add Oil (about 2T)
-Turn on Food processor and turn it into puree
-Adjust consistency by adding water and oil. Oil will make it a little creamier and water to loosen it up.
-Turn off Processor and taste
-Use Spatula to wipe down sides and reincorporate it back to the mass of puree
-Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, red pepper flake, garlic, and lemon juice
-Continue to process the puree
-Turn off and taste. It should be a smooth texture with body

Assembly:
-Get your toast point
-Add a dollop of Puree on top
-Add Crumbled Feta Cheese
-Add fine diced Roasted Red Pepper
-Add chopped parsley

-DONE! Eat and Enjoy!!!!

Final Product should look like this:

Some information about English Peas (Found on other Internet sites):

 Seasons/Availability
A peak season in spring, English Peas are available year round with sporadic gaps in availability throughout the year.

Current Facts
Peas like beans are divided into two categories: those with edible pods or inedible pods. The pea we are familiar with, also known as the English pea, green pea, and garden pea, has an inedible pod. Most commercial peas are called English peas or garden peas. Today, of all the green peas grown, only five per cent come to the market fresh, more than half is canned, and the remainder is frozen.

Description/Taste
English peas have a large grass-green, pod enclosing its round, sweet peas. The pods grown on vines and are not palatable, but the peas inside may be eaten fresh, cooked or dried.

Nutritional Value
As a fresh vegetable source of protein, English peas are second only to lima beans. A three-fourths cup serving contains about 100 calories and more protein than a tablespoon of peanut butter or a whole egg, and less than one-half gram of fat.

Applications
Fresh English peas are sweet and tender enough to be eaten raw but may also be prepared cooked. Blanch fresh peas briefly, then drain and process with cilantro, garlic and parmesan into a spread for sandwiches or dip. Blanch and drain fresh peas the mash with a fork, stir in chopped mint and grated pecorino then spread on crostini. Toss fresh peas with baby lettuce, vinaigrette, radishes, chopped walnuts and goat cheese for a spring salad. Cook diced onion, potato and peas in vegetable stock, then puree into soup and serve topped with fresh mint. To store, wrap unwashed pea pods in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate. For optimum quality and taste, use English peas within two to three days of purchase. Shelled English peas may be frozen, but they will lose their crisp texture.

Geography/History
Green peas are also known as English peas because of the many varieties developed in England. Dried peas have been used as a food since ancient times. Archaeologists found dried peas in Egyptian tombs, but not until the sixteenth century were tender varieties developed to be eaten fresh. Louis XIV and his courtiers discovered the joy of eating young fresh peas in the seventeenth century. An Austrian monk, Gregor Mendel, performed famous plant breeding experiments in the second half of the nineteenth sentry and used peas as his basis. His work with pea plants is perceived as the foundation of modern genetics.

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	339 kJ (81 kcal)
Carbohydrates	14.5 g
- Sugars	5.7 g
- Dietary fibre	5.1 g
Fat	0.4 g
Protein	5.4 g
Vitamin A equiv.	38 μg (5%)
- beta-carotene	449 μg (4%)
- lutein and zeaxanthin	2593 μg
Thiamine (vit. B1)	0.3 mg (26%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2)	0.1 mg (8%)
Niacin (vit. B3)	2.1 mg (14%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.1 mg (2%)
Vitamin B6	0.2 mg (15%)
Folate (vit. B9)	65 μg (16%)
Vitamin C	40.0 mg (48%)
Calcium	25.0 mg (3%)
Iron	1.5 mg (12%)
Magnesium	33.0 mg (9%)
Phosphorus	108 mg (15%)
Potassium	244 mg (5%)
Zinc	1.2 mg (13%

Garlic Toast Points:

Prep:

-Slice a French or sourdough baguette into 1/3”-1/2” slices
-Brush with melted butter
-Sprinkle some salt on top
-Sprinkle some granulated garlic on top
-Sprinkle some minced parsley on top

Procedure:
-Lay toast points on a cookie tray
-Bake at 350F for approx. 5-8 minutes (until golden brown)
-Taste (Should feel and taste like a crouton)
-ENJOY!