My Fate In The Hands Of A Pea

Passport & Plate - Mamma's Rosemary Peas

Australia | Saturday, March 8, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
A glug of good quality olive oil
1 meduim onion - finely chopped 
1kg good quality frozen peas
2 x 400gm cans of chopped tomatoes
1 tblsp of tomato paste
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary - finely chopped 
1 x vegetable stock cube (diluted in 1/4 cup boiling water)
Boiling water (extra)
Salt and Pepper to taste

 

How to prepare this recipe
In a medium pot on low to medium heat slowly fry the onion in the olive oil until it's just starting to colour.
Add peas, tomatoes, tomato paste, rosemary and stock - stir through.
Add approximately 1-2 cups of boiling water (enough to almost cover the peas) and a pinch of salt and pepper. 
Increase the heat and with the lid on bring peas to the boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid off for at least an hour. Add extra water if the mix starts to dry out.
You want the peas to be really soft and cooked through and the tomato mix should reduce to a nice sauce. 

Note: This recipe can also be done with freshly shelled peas, fresh tomato and liquid stock however cooking time will vary.

 

The story behind this recipe
My mamma's rosemary peas are without a doubt the most nostalgic dish of my childhood. The recipe its self is just one that was passed down through the generations but the significance of this dish is not only the personal memories that it conjures but also the direct link to the humble beginnings of my ancestors when they first migrated to Australia in the 1940's. Three months on a boat, landing with nothing but a small case of their belongings and even fewer known English words between them, my great Zio and Zia (Aunt and Uncle) landed on the docks of Melbourne and traveled approximately 90km inland to a plot of thick bushland that they would now call home. Between the two of them they managed to clear a small part of the land (by hand!) and using the timber of the trees they'd chopped down and the few other materials they could afford they eventually moved out of the tent they were sleeping in and into the small cottage they had built. My Zio spent his days earning money as a lumber jack then afternoons and evenings helping Zia clear the scrub, trees and bush. Eventually they had cleared enough space to grow a small plot of peas and my Zia then started selling them at the local market. This was the most significant income that they had because eventually it allowed them enough savings to buy a strong stock horse which made clearing the bush and working the land a much more efficient task. Many years down the track the pea plot turned into a full blown vegetable garden and the cleared land turned into one of the biggest dairy farms in West Gippsland. It was from the tireless efforts of these two entrepreneurs that allowed the rest of my family to follow them to Australia and my mother at the age of just three years old arrived on the shores of this beautiful southern land and from there my story began. It's amazing to think that at some point in my history the entire ending may have changed based on the outcome of a tiny plot of peas.