This is the longest I’ve gone without publishing a post since starting Como Water. What has been going on, pray tell? …
1. March Madness. And I don’t mean basketball. All of a sudden work got crazy busy. I asked one of my co-workers what was going on and she said, “march madness. March is always the craziest time of the year here.” Ah, I had no idea!
2. The Trayvon Martin case. If you haven’t heard of this case, you’ve been living in a bubble. When I caught wind of the tragedy, I started working with the creator of the online petition to do whatever I could to make things a little better for this boy’s family. And in the midst of this, I haven’t been able to keep myself from over-empathizing. What if that was my little brother? How must his family feel? What can we do to prevent this from happening again? And the ever ominous, WHY HASN’T ZIMMERMAN BEEN CHARGED? We’re not talking conviction here. He hasn’t even been charged! And that hurts my heart. And quite frankly diminished any residual motivation I had to blog about food.
But alas, I am back, slowly, surely, and with roasted peas… but before I give you the recipe for this super easy side dish. I want to give you some additional info on the Farm Bill (remember, this is Farm Bill month on Como Water!). In my last post on the FB, I gave a super brief overview of the legislation. Today, I want to share the major sections of the Farm Bill.
Farm Bill 101, Part 2: The last Farm Bill, passed in 2008, contained 15 titles (sections). These included support for: commodity crops (like corn), horticulture and livestock, conservation, nutrition, trade and food aid, agricultural research, farm credit, rural development, energy, forestry, and other related programs. Some of the federal laws in the Farm Bill are permanent and others are expiring (many of which expire in 2012!). The cost of the last farm bill averaged $56.8 billion a year, making it one of the most important pieces of legislation for the US food system. The National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs fall under the Farm Bill, as does funding for farmers’ markets and emergency food assistance (like funding for food banks, etc.). Now that you know the general gist of the Farm Bill, in the next post, I’ll tell you why you should care that this bill is back on Congress’ plate (bad pun intended) … AND … how you can get involved and have your concerns heard!
Happy Monday everyone! 😀 (and I’m glad to be back!!!)
Italian Roasted Peas (Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz.) frozen peas
1/3 cup Italian Dressing (I used Newman’s Own Family Recipe)
Method:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add peas and dressing to a baking pan. Stir. Roast in oven for ~20-30 minutes. Serve with fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest (all optional!).
I miss your posts..but busy is good!:) Your peas look wonderful, and this is great idea to kick the flavor onto another level!!! Have a great week hon!
Trayvon’s case has left my friends and I completely shocked. We, like you, are standing here wondering what the hell is going on? Good for you, getting involved. And don’t be afraid to use your blog to talk about this stuff…sometimes just discussing it can help you find some peace.
Lovely recipe, darling 🙂
Glad to have you back. I do understand that you have to be in the right state of mind to blog, so glad you found some inspiration to get back on here. Your peas look delicious, I rarely have any recipes for preparing them and I do like the ease of this one. Happy Monday!
You can roast peas? Who knew. They look delish. I love peas, so I’m gonna have to give this recipe a whirl. Thanks for sharing.
March is crazy at my work too, March Madness indeed. We are switching over to a new operating system too. Going to be craaaazzzzzyyyy!!
I have to admit that I am not a big fan of peas, but these just look too lovely not to try!
Mmm, these look great, Tiff! I know what you mean about being busy. I can’t believe I’m still in bed right now. But perhaps this will be my only day of relaxation during this Spring Break because of that massive baby shower on Saturday. I know what you mean about the Trayvon Martin case, too. It totally makes me ill how this is all being handled and really, just… all of it. Sigh. I hope you have a great week, Tiff 🙂
Welcome back! These look wicked good–and so perfect for spring. Also, I am totally enthralled by the Trayvon Martin case too.
I was just thinking about writing a post of the Trayvon Martin case. It is unbelievable! I know FLA has some crazy politics… but COME ON! It makes my faith in society dip.
Ooh – I’ve never roasted peas! I’ll have to change that 🙂
Hey! I just posted and realized that I had not posted for more than two weeks myself. Where did the time go? For me, I’ve been busy testing students for state tests–which are still going on. I’ve been as baffled and saddened as everyone else about the Trayvon Martin case.
The recipe looks too easy and delicious not to try. Another great recipe!
Hmm. I never thought to roast peas. But now I really want to…
This looks like something that even I can make…with my non-cookin’ self. Sweet peas are one of my favorites, though I don’t make them very often. Brings me back to the days of eating over at grandma’s house after school. She loved sweet peas and rice. Thanks for this recipe!
Glad you are back 🙂 This recipes sounds (and looks) completely fantastic! I love love love peas!
Oh Tiffany….so sorry that your March has been so hectic. Some months just feel that way and sometimes you just need a break from blogging to focus on more important issues. But I’m glad you are back and even happier that you are posting a recipe for my most favorite veggie in the world! Peas? Please! And with an Italian flair! They look scrumptious! Hope you are having a GREAT week! : )
Ok, again I feel myself starting off a comment to you, “I don’t even like_____ but that sounds really good!” I don’t like peas, but I think I would totally try your recipe. Glad you’re back 🙂
It’s good to have you baaaacccckk! We, like so many others have been swept away by the Martin case. It makes my heart hurt, and we desperately want justice for this young man and peace for his family. Thank you for bringing it out. Even though we’re food bloggers we can still share what is on our minds and our hearts. You’ve done it in a very respectful way, thank you again. And, thanks for bringing a yummy recipe back with you. What a wonderful way to serve peas. The Mr. will be doing the happy dance!
I have never tried roasted peas. This sounds like something I will enjoy!
I hope all is well with you Tiffany! I rarely eat just peas but this is very intriguing recipe!
Peas can be roasted! Why didn’t I think of this earlier. This is a fantastic idea I say.
Thanks for the comments! 😀
Hi Tiff,
Welcome back! Lovely simple side. Love the herbs, lemon and parmesan.