In my youth in New Orleans (another time, another place), we regularly had a side dish called "Field Peas". They tasted somewhat like Black Eyed Peas, but were smaller, crisper, and better tasting. I didn't really know what they were...I only remember that I liked them. I don't think I ever saw them on a menu, or in a store. I haven't eaten them for many years. After moving to Arkansas, I mentioned Field Peas to Starkraven, and she said she had never heard of them.

In late June, Starkraven surprised me with a package of "Field Peas" seeds she had found at the co-op. It turns out that "Field Peas" are a member of one of the largest family of peas called Southern/Cow Peas which has literally hundreds of varieties, some of which are Black Eyed Peas, Purple Hulled Peas, and Crowder Peas.

Now I know many of you are going DUH!, but cut me some slack. I am really new at this.

Anyway, we had an empty box from the garlic harvest, and planted the Field Peas in late June.
We planted them mostly out of curiosity, and as a cover crop for soil conditioning. We really didn't pay much attention to them. They pretty much just grew themselves.

We pulled up our bush beans about a month ago ago, and the pole (green) beans have about stopped. Most of the beans are already canned or frozen. There are some blossoms on the Pole Beans, and we may get a few more fresh beans,.... but the Field Peas are now coming on strong. We will be harvesting this tasty veggie for a while. It turns out that they are a perfect late Summer crop. They thrive in the heat and low water and are pest & disease resistant.

We harvested the first pods yesterday, shelled them, and ate them over rice.
They were delicious.





The plants are about two feet tall, and the pods are really cool. They grow from a little stalk above the plant body which makes them really easy to pick. They are perfect for the Late Summer transition to Fall. They seem to be very productive, and it looks like we will have plenty to dry for the Winter.

AND, also.....
A BIG day for us.

We started 2 HoneyBee colonies in May 2007 as an adjunct to the Veggie Garden,
and harvested our first honey last week.


We got about 1/2 gallon from both hives.
We love our bees, and were careful not to take very much from them.
Thank You, HoneyBees!