French Peas

This recipe has been a family tradition from Mom's family, but I had never done it myself until this year. (My sisters and I had specialized responsibilities, but the pea sister was with her husband's family this year.) Now I get to decide whether to continue the tradition.

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup finely shredded lettuce
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 cube chicken bullion
• ½ cup water
• 16 oz. peas
• 1 small can water chestnuts
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions

Fry the bacon in a large skillet over high heat until browned on edges. Drain the excess fat. Add the green onions, lettuce, and flour; cook over medium-high heat until some of the lettuce turns transparent, stirring frequently. Add bullion and water, and cook until thick. Add peas, water chestnuts, and salt; cook until peas are tender.

Makes 5-6 servings.

Comments

For six adults and three children, we doubled the recipe and had plenty left over. Lemon Verbena finds it a bit soggy, so it might be largely nostalgia for me. Nevertheless, I might experiment with less water and possibly different kinds of lettuce. Given that a co-worker has recently sung the praises of kale, that could be a good place to start.