There are few flavours more evocative and filled with the culinary spirit of spring then fresh peas just picked from the garden. Plucked while still so tender and fresh you could easily, joyfully eat them raw, peas are like little green globes that symbolize the fact that winter really and truly is behind us once more.
Whether you grow your own, pick them from the grocer's shelves, or opt - during the off-season in particular – to use the canned variety (as seen in today's charming 1950s recipe, where of course you can use the fresh variety anytime you like), peas are must on just about any well-rounded springtime menu.
On this fine morning on the first day of May, whether you're waking up to steaming rays of buttery sunshine or watching raindrops bounce of the window by the thousands, I think we can all agree that the end of the work week calls for a meal that's chocked full of flavour, but far from demanding on our time or energy.
Enter today's charmingly named Garden Patty-Go-Around dish of beef patties, green peas, and classic white rice. Meat, veggies, and grains, they're all there on one plate and are sure to prove a hit with all who gather around your springtime supper table.
{A handful of ingredients and less than a hour are all it takes to prepare this hearty, delicious dinner of green peas, beef patties, and rice. Vintage recipe via Salty Cotton on Flickr. Click here for a larger version.}
If you don't eat or would prefer not to use beef (and/or bacon) here, you can certainly swap in any other ground meat or vegetarian/vegan meat substitute that you desire (flaked tuna fish patties would be fun here as well). I've made this exact dish several times before myself and have used ground chicken or turkey on each occasion. I also added a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, which, interestingly, is missing from the original recipe.
Should peas not happen to be are not your favourite veggie (or if you know your kids are likely to protest about them), you can always swap in another beloved springtime green vegetable such as chopped string beans, asparagus, or wilted watercress instead. By the same token, feel free to trade the white rice for brown, wild, or any other variety, or forgo it entirely and use pasta, mashed potatoes, quinoa, or another starch (if desired) in its place.
I really like this dish because it's a whiz to toss together, can be multiplied to your heart's content, is relatively budget-friendly (the meat will likely be the most expensive ingredient), and can be made with ingredients that are generally on hand most of the time.
Those are the kind of hallmarks one looks for a busy weekday evening meal, and which have helped earn this quick, fun, and very tasty dish a permanent place in my seasonal dinnertime repertoire.
Happy cooking and May Day celebrating, my wonderful friends!
