I like to grow Southern Peas. They are also called cowpeas. I read that they were called 'cowpeas' because, you guessed it: they grew it to feed the cows. They were considered 'poor man's food' because poor people ate them. Guess what? They ain't just for po folk - they're for all. I love to eat them and most people I know love them. Here's the thing about them - they are a great source of protein (24%) and they fix nitrogen into the soil, making your soil more fertile and productive for the next rotation. Cowpeas love the heat. They thrive on it, actually. I hear talk that there is a meat shortage and that beef prices are high. Planting cowpeas combats this.
We generally plant several varieties: Purple Hull, Blackeye, Ozark Razorback, and Whippoorwill peas. They fill in the rows and produce a bountiful crop. Here is a row of the purple hulls.
Buckwheat, the goat, looks longingly at the ripening crop, wishing he could get through the fence, but it is not to be.
Purple hull peas are aptly named. They are ripe when the hulls turn purple. You can see the hulls below turning a tinge of purple, but they aren't quite ready.
Below are some pods that are purple and ready for harvest. Once they start coming in, every other day you can walk down the rows and pick them.
Once you have a basket full, it's time to shell them. We do not have an automatic pea sheller. We shell them the old fashioned way - by hand. There is something therapeutic and relaxing that you get when shelling peas. Watching the peas pop into the bowl is rewarding. Tuesday night, Tricia and I stood shoulder to shoulder and shelled a mess of peas.
We also shelled some Whippoorwill Peas. Whippoorwill peas are smaller, and I think have a 'nuttier' flavor.
We love to eat them and Tricia finds them to be an easy meal. All you have to do is put on a pot of rice and cook your peas, adding some diced onions and peppers and some smoked sausage for extra flavor. A cast iron pot with homemade cornbread kicks this meal up an extra notch!
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