A Smorgasbord of Beans and Peas

Tricia and I were having an afternoon cup of coffee on Saturday, sitting out on the swing in the backyard.  It was pretty hot and we were discussing how the month of June is a very busy one in the garden.  July - not so much.  By the time July rolls around, the tomatoes are done, the cucumbers have all but quit producing and the yellow squash and zucchini squash are waving white flags at the heat.

In July the crops still producing include okra.  My goodness, okra is such a hardy crop.  The hotter it gets, okra doubles down and grows taller, adds more blooms and produces pods in open defiance of the sun.  Peppers are also really hopping.  Jalapeno, sweet bell, and banana peppers load up.  Last but not least are the numerous varieties of southern peas, lima beans and and pole beans.  It is at this time that those peas and beans spread like wildfire across the garden.

While they were planted in an orderly fashion in neat rows with the intention of keeping things separated, something happened along the way.  It is as if they had a mind of their own and decided that there are no barriers and they resolved to intertwine themselves into a jungle-like mass of vegetation.  That's okay, I thought.  I'll just harvest them all, even though they are mixed up, and enjoy the different colors and shapes and sizes of peas and beans.  I brought them in and shelled them.

A non-exhaustive list of peas and beans include: purple hull peas, Ozark razorback peas, blackeyed peas, dixie speckled butterbeans, baby limas, whippoorwill peas, Reverend Taylor beans, Cades Cove peas...  I think I'm forgetting a few, but who's counting.

I remember growing up, from time to time, my mom would buy a package of dried beans and peas that represented a mixture of different types.  It was called 13 Bean Soup.  We always enjoyed it.  We like to re-create that dish when we have a plethora of peas like we currently do.  We soak the beans overnight and then add tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers.  For a smoky flavor, Tricia adds cut up smoked sausage to the pot. 

This dish is a hearty one that sure can warm you up on a cold winter's day.  However, I'm not going to push this away on a hot summer's day.

The peas and beans are continuing to produce in the heat and we continue to harvest and shell them.  We have another bowl of our version of 13 bean soup ready to be worked into the rotation for supper one night this week.  We'll need to make some cornbread, too.  Nothing like crumbling some cornbread on top to take this dish to the next level.