3 things you may not know about peas

• They were only eaten dried or ground until the 16th century, when Italian gardeners developed tender varieties for cooking and eating fresh.
• Green peas are among the top five veggies grown in Canada, along with potatoes, corn, beans and tomatoes.
• Sir Bob Geldof once canned peas for a living.

3 ways to try peas right now

• Savour the freshest snow peas simply steamed with chervil.
• Combine peas with fried mushrooms as an appetizer.
• Add some crunch to green salads by tossing in a handful of fresh raw peas.

3 types of peas to keep on hand

• Sugar snap peas, or mange-tout, with their succulent edible immature pods.
• Petits pois, very young, small, sweet pods and tender peas inside.
• Dried peas-chickpeas, split peas, black-eyed peas-for hearty soups and casseroles.

1 thing to remember at the grocery store

• Look for bright green, fresh pea pods with a clean, satiny look; avoid puffy or blemished pods.

1 tip you can't live without

• Cooking some of the pods with the peas or with soup stock adds flavour and nutrition; discard the pods before serving.

1 collectible to be on the lookout for

• Wire pea servers or perforated enamelware pea strainers, with their unique shapes and variety of colours.