The fashion for peas in Versailles
Louis XIV was also very proud to be able to eat it whenever he wanted. The court being as faint as possible, the nobles took great pride in eating peas like the king. So much so that the Marquise de Sévigné makes fun of it in her letters “The chapter on peas is still going on: the impatience to eat them, the pleasure of having eaten them, and the joy of eating them again, are the three points that our princes have been discussing for four days. There are ladies who, after having supped with the King, and supped well, find peas at home to eat before going to bed at the risk of indigestion. But why ? Because Louis XIV fell in love with this pea that one of his officers from Italy gave him to taste. And the king wanted it right away. He stuck this whim to Mr. de la Quintinie, his gardener, who after a lot of effort succeeded in the technique to acclimatize the pea, so fragile and so frost-prone, to the French climate.
How to keep peas all green after cooking?
Today the peas acclimatize with lots of dishes. With new carrots, they deliciously accompany white meat. You can also make a slightly original omelette or even a pea soup, very pretty as well since it’s very green, or the more classic French peas by mixing them with bacon bits, lettuce and a bit of onions. To cook the fresh peas and keep their beautiful green color, cook them in boiling salted water for a quarter of an hour then immerse them in water with ice cubes before collecting them in the skimmer and well drain them.
Health side
Peas are a good source of fiber, they fill you up quickly, they’re good for the diet, and they’re antioxidants. Cooking is done with a lot of ingredients, like peas, but it is mostly done with the heart.