Both peas and potatoes have long been favorites in mountain gardens, and for many generations the latter, thanks to a combination of productivity (you can grow a lot of potatoes in a relatively small space) and keeping qualities, was a staple vegetable perhaps second only to corn in overall dietary importance. Fortuitously green peas and potatoes reach the edible stage about the same time in late spring, and combining them in a delicious dish was commonplace. In todayās world you can buy new potatoes at any time of the year and frozen English peas make the other part of the classic combo something that can be enjoyed through all seasons.
The ācreamedā can be a bit misleading, since no cream, just milk, is involved in the dish. Keep in mind that this is a foodstuff, unlike so many, which tends to be lacking in salt. You can just salt and pepper to taste if the amount suggested leaves the vegetable mix tasting bland.
12 medium-sized new potatoes
1 cup fresh or frozen garden peas
1 tablespoon salted butter
2 tablespoons diced sweet onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush to remove skin or else wash carefully and leave skin intact. Cut in half unless some are quite small. Mixed sizes will be the case with those dug from the garden while grocery store ones will have relative uniformity. Place in enough boiling water in a saucepan to cover and cook until barely tender (about 10 to 12 minutesāyou can test with the point of a sharp knife), drain in a colander, and set aside. Cook peas in another saucepan of boiling water (required time will be less, perhaps 5 minutes) and drain and set aside as well.
Melt butter in a large skillet and add onion in medium heat, cooking until translucent. At that point add flour, stirring constantly with a whisk, and cook for a minute or so. Then slowly add milk, again stirring all the while, until everything is well combined. At this point add peas, potatoes, salt, and black pepper. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and allow to thicken until the sauce is slightly creamy. Adjust salt and pepper, by taste testing, adding more if needed. Pour into a serving dish or bowl and enjoy. This makes a hearty main dish for an all-vegetable meal or a grand side dish with fried or roasted chicken.
āCelebrating Southern Appalachian Food ā Recipes & Stories from Mountain Kitchens written by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley
I wanted to plant some early peas this year but never managed to get it done. We do have plenty of potatoes growing and I can’t wait for the first mess of new potatoes.
Granny was a picky child and wouldnāt harldy eat nothing. She wouldnāt even eat egg whites, only the yolks. Her mother Gazzie would beg her to eat and try to entice her with different things, but Granny would usually stand her ground and refuse even a bite of something. Sheād literally go days without eating all the while worrying her mother to death.
One early summer when Granny hadnāt been eating much her brother-n-law Woodrow came in with a mess of new taters and fresh peas. Gazzie cooked them up together and Granny ate until she made her self sick. She said āThey just tasted so good I couldnāt quit eating them and I foundered myself.ā
Granny said she laid on the porch and cried she was so sick. Her younger brother James stayed right with her trying to console her that sheād get better. Granny said āOh Lord James Iām really going to die this time.ā James told her she wasnāt going to die and fed her sodie crackers until she felt better.
It was a long time before Granny could ever eat new taters and peas again. She finally got over being foundered on them and new potatoes and peas was one of her and Papās favorite dishes.
If youāre interested in picking up a copy of Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food ā Recipes & Stories from Mountain Kitchens you can find it here.
Last night’s video: Walk in the Woods & Garden with Us.
Tipper
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My favorite side dish! This is comfort food at its best.
Creamed peas are so good! Love that story about Granny getting foundered and her brother feeding her sodie crackers till she felt better.
I absolutely love this story. You’ve told it before, haven’t you? It has to be a family favorite! I needed this today. I just got diagnosed with Lyme’s disease and it is creating havoc with my body. I will keep on praying and I will make it through the tough times! I appreciate the fellowship from your channels! ā¤ļø
Barbara-I have told it before š So sorry to hear you have Lyme’s disease. I will be praying for you!!
Seems like Granny wasn’t the only one who got sick on something and waited a long time before they were willing to eat it again. My story is honey dew melon. The first time I ate it I got very nauseated. I didn’t “founder myself” on it – just ate a couple of slices and I am sure the nausea and upchucking were unrelated to the honey dew, but I haven’t had it in the sixty years that have elapsed since. Glad it wasn’t cantaloupe – I love it with salt and pepper.
Patricia, I ate a large and very sweet Athena cantaloupe a few days ago. When I said something to some others about putting salt and pepper on the slices, they couldnāt believe it, they had never heard of putting salt and pepper on cantaloupe. I always put salt in watermelon.
What a fine post today, Tipper. Thank you.
Creamed peas and new potatoes are tasty, indeed!
And you sharing that Dear Granny was a “picky child” made me smile. It made me wonder, too, if Granny and I are long-lost sisters (although if we are, I would be the bad example everyone would point to). I was a trial to my mother from my birth. I would not eat, wear, sleep or do anything she wanted her beloved daughter to do. My mother’s sighs, her bewildered expressions, and her exasperated commands that I comply were the ‘music’ of my entire childhood. Eventually, when I grew out of my oppositional phase (um, at age 40?), Mother and I became close friends. But she never forgot the misery of those early years, nor would she allow me to forget them! : )
If Granny ever feels like it, would love to hear her greenbean recipe. My Mother inlaw had a special touch also. she would add grease or oil, (bacon grease best) salt and pepper and let the water cook all the out of the beans. when cooked this way the greenbeans have a different flavor. More intense I would say. Not too much water about half way up the pot and stir several times. keep lid on until tender and allow water to cook out.
I really like peas and new potatoes! Iām looking forward to buying some fresh at the Farmers market when they come in. Iāve tried to grow my own peas and potatoes but have not had any luck. I can seem to grow Sugar peas but I end up eating them when they are young and tender. Iāve tried potatoes several times and can hardly get enough of them to grow to even get a hand full. I donāt know what I do wrong but I just stopped trying to grow them.
Iām definitely will be trying this. I really love new potatoes in a pot of fresh green beans cooked with some fat back, a side of cornbread and a green onion, maybe some cucumbers and tomatoes- the best meal of summer!
This sounds good! Tipper, in last nights video, is that a .44 Matt’s carrying?
John-thank you! It was a 44 š
That recipe sounds delicious! I remember Mama looking forward to buying new potatotoes in the spring.
I need to try the creamed potatoes and peas. My mama made English peas and little dumplings which I love.
Yes, this is so delicious. Mama said her mother would do this with the first peas so there would be enough for her family. I would love to grow some but never can get the garden ready early enough in the season.
My dad referred to it as “thickening” and wanted it in pea’s and stewed squash. Every time I make either I think about him and miss him more.
Mom planted peas every spring about the time she planted lettuce and green onions. She cooked peas the same way she cooked green beans and only shelled the ones that got too mature. She made creamed potatoes often for breakfast but never added peas. I think I will make the dish for dinner if I don’t get too tired after I till the garden.
I have never had this dish. My mama always loved and made creamed new potatoes, but she never used peas. Her favorite creamed dish to make is creamed tomatoes served over elbow macaroni.
I got foundered on one thing in my life and that is creamy Italian dressing. When I was pregnant with my first child, I craved salad with creamy Italian dressing. I ate this every morning at 10 oāclock for months. Now, 40 years later, I still cannot stomach the thought of creamy Italian dressing. It used to be my favorite bottled dressing. LOL! Also, I have two granddaughters who love boiled eggs, but will only eat the white part. I think my hubby would like your recipe above, so I will have to try making it for him. Thanks for sharing.
I plan to pick peas today. I might even have new potatoes but have not looked. It was been about 75 days since I planted the potatoes but they were slow coming up. So I think it is still too early to have potatoes, though the tops are wilting down? It gets too hot too soon here for peas & potatoes to be ready at the same time. Just one more proof I live in the wrong place.
I guess I am a new tater purist. In my world, to qualify as new taters, they can be out of the ground no more than an hour. You don’t grabble them until the pot is on the stove and the water is hot. You don’t worry about skins because very little to none will be present. All you have to do is to wash them under running water and make sure there is no residual dirt.
Skins on potatoes are part of the curing process. New potatoes haven’t begun the curing process and have an entirely different taste from the ones you find in the grocery store. If they call them “new potatoes” they are lying to you.
I can completely understand why Granny would find herself foundered on new potatoes and fresh garden peas. That couldn’t have happened to me though, as there were eight mouths to feed at the home of my youth and Mommy was good at cooking just enough for all of us.
My mother would boil new potatoes until just tender, peel them, cut in half and then brown them in butter with salt and pepper. They had crispy edges and were so good! I haven’t had them in years. I’ll have to check the farmers market for new potatoes.
This sounds so good. I am a tater & butter lover!
Like Randy, I have foundered myself twice; once on red beans and rice and a second time on peanut brittle. Creamed peas and new potatoes sound like they could be third if I had not learned my lesson!
Apple jelly was my downfall–Granny and Mama were making it & I just had way too many “tastes”. I still don’t like apple jelly.
Good Monday morning everyone. The sun is shining, birds are singing, morning dew making those veggies grow for the delicious potatoes and peas dish! I love it!
Always enjoy the videos. Blessings to all.
I forgot about this dish – and now have a hankering. What I know is there’s nothing better than new potatoes! I’ve had my share, but unfortunately not lately. Store bought is okay, but nothing beats vegetables fresh from a garden. Thanks for reminding me of something so simple, but so good. (sidebar, the only thing I’ve ever made myself sick from was one of those long sticks of bubble gum – probably more than a foot – back when I was about 13. It was grape-flavored, and I ate the whole thing, biting off big chunks, chewing until the sugar was gone, then taking another bite. I threw up purple for hours. Yuck! Sorry if anyone’s eating breakfast and reading comments. š )
My mom had her own recipes she used throughout gardening season. Early before garden we went on wild green hunts, and is a favorite memory usually shared with a neighbor. We started off with lots of kilt lettuce in the early garden along with pantry items. Mom would gravel/grabble new potatoes and cream the potatoes. Later garden would follow with an assortment of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and seemed like we had mustard or kale throughout the entire garden season. All summer table laden with whatever in season such as corn on the cob, green beans, new potatoes cooked in half runners, green onions. Late summer was a busy busy time with canning from sun up to sun down. That’s how my mom grew up and she taught me. Later in life even when I worked long hours I always had a garden. It just seemed abnormal not to be able to go out and pick fresh garden vegetables. I remember one old standby that I still occasionally cook. If we had a surplus of tomatoes there was a macaroni and tomato dish to fill in on busy days. I have found other Appalachian cooks used this same simple dish back in the day. Years later I found it has added taste with cheese sprinkled over the top. The prize was creamed corn fresh off the cob which definitely puts store bought to shame. Keep on celebrating Appalachia, and you are greatly appreciated for this. I think Appalachia was for too long misunderstood, and you are doing a great job of righting a wrong!
The recipe you gave for creamed peas and new potatoes sounds delicious. I love new red potatoes cooked most any way, but especially in potato salad or in a pot of green beans.
A dish worthy of a king! My grandmother made creamed peas and carrots, which I loved, but then I grew up liking pretty much whatever was set on the table. No picky eaters back then! We never lacked for anything, but only now do I realize how close to the poverty level we lived, like most everyone else growing up in the 40s and 50s.
I know for a fact ENGLISH PEAS are the favorite food of deer. I hate to hear of granny foundering herself and being sick and Iāve done that to myself before so I can really sympathize. Peas are pretty tasty, but beside potatoes, in my view they greatly pale in comparison! Thanks for the recipe-Iām willing to bet itās a delicious recipe. Have a great day all and we finally had sun yesterday in WV after about 10 days of rotting and cold rainā¦I can nowadays count many days of rain compared with one of sunshine and itās ridiculous.
I know for fact that deer meat is the favorite food of gardeners who’s English Peas were destroyed by deer. You know, maybe mothers might be able to get their children to eat their peas by processing them first through a deer.
I enjoyed the story of Granny getting foundered! Those childhood tales of woe are some of the best. I always loved to listen to the stories my elders would get to telling when I was a child. It was more entertaining than television! Thank you for sharing that one!
We use the word ā founderedā here too!
I loved my mother’s potatoes and peas, but her potatoes, green beans, and chunks of ham, creamed, were my favorite. Both myself and my 84-year-old sister still make this wonderful soup we both grew up on, and we both love the potatoes and peas version as well. In truth, there is hardly any potato-vegetable creamed dish I don’t love, especially living in a cold climate.
I couldnāt stand peas til I was in my early 20s. We had gone to a get-together at friendsā house and I hadnāt eaten all day. She was cooking peas and new potatoes on the stove, in one pot, just with lots of butter & some salt. Both were from cans and the smell of them made my stomach think my throat had been cut! I couldnāt wait to get some on my plate. Yes, homegrown is best, fresh is better but canned peas and new potatoes is a treat I still make every now and then for us, 40 years later. Iāll try creaming them- next level. Iām sure.
I always plant just enough potatoes and peas to have a mess of āpeas ān crickets ā each year. Didnāt plant any taters this year but we do have a couple short rows of peas so I guess weāll have to go to the store for potatoes.
Loved the story and love cream peas and new potatoes. Always enjoyed new potatoes with green beans and bacon as well.
This is a new one I gotta try. I do make creamed peas for a side dish with Fried Chicken and mashed potatoes and sometime additional cole slaw. As far as the egg problem, I have a Granddaughter that would not eat eggs at all til I mixed them in with a bowl of grits one morning and convinced her that the yellowy part was from butter. That began the eggs and grits theory. Good video today and hope to see the next live broadcast. Prayers for Granny and God Bless your growing family.
I have heard of this dish since I was a child. my mother never made it and I never had it elsewhere. Odd. I have never been a pea eater, guessing because I never had them fresh.
For some reason I have never cared for fresh English peas but love the canned bought in grocery store English peas. My mother would cream her fresh English peas but I do not remember her cooking them with fresh/new potatoes. I have made myself sick twice that I can remember by eating too much, once with fresh green beans and the other time with fresh hog liver. I started back eating green beans and can still eat enough of them to make myself sick but I have learned better now. I love fresh green beans cooked with new taters and a chunk of country ham. It has probably been close to 65 years since I ate the liver and even now I will not touch liver, I wonāt even use it for catfish bait.
I agree, Randy, nothing better than green beans cooked with new taters and a chunk of ham. I served this with dinner one Christmas long ago. Dinner company was newly transplanted northerners who had never heard of such. They separated out the taters from the green beans on their plates, smashed the taters and added butter!! I still chuckle over that.
Cheryl, us southern folks need to pray for our uneducated northern friends. On top of what you wrote, they eat Sweet cornbread! I hope everyone takes this like I meant it, I was just teasing. I have many friends that I meet in my 38 years at Michelin that were from the north. They tease me about my southern ways and I tease them about their northern ways.