From the Garden...Green Peas and Pearl Onions

This is one of my favorite vegetable combinations…pretty, tasty and almost everyone likes it.  It's great for a nice holiday side dish.  "The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook" gives this recipe for creaming them; if you need a gluten-free sauce, simply eliminate the flour and use ¾ cup heavy cream instead of the 1 cup of milk.  It will thicken on its own to a nice sauce if cooked 3 minutes or so.  The nutmeg adds a nice flavor – if you don’t use many spices, try this one.

Green Peas and Pearl Onions

  3        Cups  Green Peas -- shelled

     1/2 Pound  Frozen Pearl Onion

  2        Tablespoons  Butter

  2        Tablespoons  Flour, All-purpose

  1        Cup  Milk

     3/4 Teaspoon  Salt

     1/8 Teaspoon  Pepper

            Pinch  Nutmeg

Shell and wash peas (3# yields 3 cups); cover peas and onions with water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 12-15 minutes or until peas are tender; drain.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk, cook over medium heat, 3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.

Stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Spoon sauce over vegetables, toss gently.

Six servings

Per Serving: 140 Calories; 6g Fat (34.6% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 333mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.