The world might be a better place, if everybody stopped to shell peas...

It's peanut and purple hull pea time. My mother-in-law brought us a sack of purple hull peas and a sack of peanuts from The Peanut Shack in Crystal Springs, MS. So, Sadie and I have been shelling peas and the crawfish pots have been pulled out of the barn to boil peanuts. Even though its still 96 in the shade, Fall has arrived!

We buy peanuts in bulk in the peak of the season when they are cheap, boil them and freeze them. When you yearn for that salty taste of early fall, just take them out of the freezer,allow them to thaw and enjoy! Chris makes really, really good boiled peanuts. The secret, don't let last year's crawfish seasoning go flat, use it up in the fall on your peanuts.

Chris' boiled peanuts
36 pounds of peanuts
6 pounds of crawfish spice
1 cup salt
Bring peanuts to a boil, keep them at a low boil for about an hour and a half until done to taste(periodically, taste until they are done to your liking, I like a little residual crunch, rather than a mushy peanut). Turn off the fire and allow the peanuts to soak for a couple of hours, again, taste until they are as juicy as you like them. Allow peanuts to cool, bag, and freeze.
Use whatever crawfish spice you like. Our personal favorite, for peanuts and crawfish, is Duane's in Lawtell, Louisiana. I am not sure where you can buy it, but if you live in Mississippi or Louisiana they probably drive a crawfish truck through your town. Call them during crawfish season (337.543.6147), they'll be happy to stop and let you pick up a sack off the back of the truck, and be sure to get some of their spice. We've bought many sacks from them and have never gotten a bad one

Tonight, I made a salad with a fig mustard vinaigrette, glazed carrots and a fresh purple hull pea salad.

To make the purple hull pea salad. Bring fresh peas to a boil and then simmer until they are done to your liking. Drain peas, pour cold water over them. I used queso anejo, a really good store bought salsa (fresh tomatoes would have been better), rice wine vinegar, olive oil (pick a good one), salt, black pepper. Mix all the ingredients and chill.