Gering Construction: Day 8

After a few days of this...

We had to wait for it to dry a bit before we could do this...

Yellow Split Pea Salad with Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

I found this recipe on a website called "Naturally Ella"  You can view it by clicking HERE.  I wanted to find something other than a soup recipe to use peas!  The photo is courtesy of her website also.

 

 

Yellow Split Pea Salad with Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Author: Erin Alderson

Recipe type: salad

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• ½ cup yellow split peas
• 3-4 handfuls lettuce
• 2 ounces goat cheese
• ¼ cup pecans, toasted

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

 

Instructions

1. Sort through and rinse split peas. Add to a pot with water and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and then let cook for 30-45 minutes. Split peas should be tender but still hold their shape.
2. Once done, drain and let cool slightly.
3. In a jar with a lid, combine olive oil, vinegar, honey, and mustard. Shake until combined.
4. Toss split peas, lettuce, pecans, and goat cheese with a drizzle of dressing.

Notes

*I usually make a big batch of dressing and use it throughout the week. I’ll double and triple everything except the honey- which I usually add to taste for a hint of sweetness.

Field Pea Update

Here are some of the field pea fields and their progress so far...  Please remember that if you didn't get the herbicide on before your peas emerged, Raptor/Basagran/Grass Herbicide of Choice can be sprayed as soon as the peas have 3 pairs of leaves.

 

Gering Construction: Day 1

The first day of construction in Gering consisted of putting in a new electrical pole and trenching in new wire...

Pea Protein Popularity

The article below has some great information about the increasing popularity of pea protein as an ingredient in many different foods.  You can find the article on US News' website by clicking HERE.

The Power of Pea Protein

Pea protein is now being used in pasta, crackers, salad dressing, cereal and more. Here’s why.

By Frances Largeman-Roth May 28, 2013       

 

Let's consider the pea: small, green, relatively sweet. Though they're traditionally served and thought of as a vegetable – much to the chagrin of many children – peas are actually a legume and a good source of protein.

Frances Largeman-Roth

People are gaga for extra protein these days. More and more products are being formulated (or reformulated) to boost their protein content. Consumers are looking for food products with added protein for several reasons: Some think the product will provide a feeling of fullness, and therefore help promote weight loss. Others look to the nutrient to provide them, or their kids, with an energy boost. Baby Boomers seek it out to help preserve lean muscle mass.
In February, Larabar came out with ALT, an energy bar made with protein from peas, and it piqued my interest. I've been a dietitian for more than 15 years, but I had never heard of using peas as a protein source in bars or anything else. Most energy bars and mixes rely on protein from milk (whey or casein), egg whites or soy protein isolate, which is refined soybean protein. It turns out that peas have been used for a while in protein powder mixes, but with the rise of veganism, and concerns over soy and egg allergies, consumers are looking for protein that doesn't come from animal sources or soybeans. And now pea protein and pea protein isolates are being used to replace eggs, soy and dairy in a range of products, including pasta, crackers, salad dressing, cereal, smoothies and even (shocker!) brownies.

OK, so peas are a relatively cheap, easily renewable plant-based source of protein. How do they go from being a plump green orb to being something you might blend up in a smoothie? It turns out that the English pea – the sweet, green variety that comes in a pod – is not the type of pea being used in these new protein-packed products. Rather, the field pea is the new protein star. Field peas are grown for the purpose of drying, not to be eaten fresh, and can be either green or yellow. They are dried and often split and sold as "split peas." These same peas can be ground up, de-fatted, and then used as a powder. Pea protein is often combined with rice protein in products to make a complete protein.

So, should you try pea protein? If you're happy with your soy or whey-based energy bar or powder, then stick with what works! But if you have a soy allergy or are following a vegan diet, you may want to check it out. The Larabar ALT bar goes national in June, and I wouldn't be surprised if more companies jump on the pea bandwagon. Peas out.

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns, and feedback.
Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, is a best-selling author and nationally recognized health expert, and the former Food and Nutrition Director at Health magazine for nearly eight years. Prior to that, she was part of the editorial team at the Discovery Health Channel and was managing editor at FoodFit.com. Frances is the author of Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Mom's Healthy Eating Guide and co-author of the best-selling The CarbLovers Diet and The CarbLovers Diet Cookbook. Her cookbook, Eating in Color: Delicious, Healthy Recipes for You and Your Family will be published in January 2014. Frances earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and completed her dietetic internship at Columbia University in New York.

Beans Lower Cholesterol - Men's Health Magazine

Click on the picture below to read this great article that was published in Men's Health Magazine!  Eat a serving of beans a day to drop your 'bad' cholesterol levels.

Pea-Fed Beef

Below is last page in a handout about feeding peas to cattle.  You can read the entire handout by clicking HERE.  This has some very interesting information about the quality of the meat when cattle are fed peas.  The tenderness and juiciness are both improved with peas. 

 

If you'd like to try some for yourself, one of our pea growers has several Pea-Fed Beef for sale that will go in on May 15th.  You can purchase a whole, 1/2 or 1/4 from him.  For more information, call Roger Rasmussen at 308-430-1926.