The Fall garden is coming along and nearing harvest.  A good crop of September purple hull peas should begin to come off the vine next week.  These are the same peas that I plant in the early Spring and mature in early Summer.  What wasn’t eaten, was blanched and frozen to enjoy through the Winter.  They are called September peas because they are usually the second planting and start maturing late Summer and through the Fall.  These peas are a southern delight and are sometimes called field peas or cow peas.  They are simply boiled for one hour or so, usually with a ham hock and seasoned with salt and pepper.  They look like a long-bent pencil on the vine and when the peas in the pod mature, they are “shelled” by hand and yield anywhere from 12 – 15 peas per pea pod.  For those not familiar, the flavor is akin to lentils.  I am really looking forward to sharing this southern staple with our dining guests this Fall and Winter.