Out of a misguided sense of virtue – to thank them for at least trying,
I guess – I sometimes find myself gathering up from a greengrocer’s box
the withered shells of some peas in the pod that have been languishing
there for days. I know in my heart of hearts that they are not going to be worth
cooking. Like broad beans, peas really have to be grown rather than
bought if you want that fantastic, just-picked flavour. They are frost
resistant and can be sown into the ground as early as March, but I
prefer to bring my first crop on in small pots under glass, to protect
the young shoots against slugs and birds.