6/2/09

Sneak Peek at Stone's Soup Corner

Announcing Edible Marin Wine Country Magazine Premiere Issue (drum roll please)

edible Marin and Wine Country Summer 2009

We here in Marin, Napa and Sonoma are thrilled to be contributing to a great new magazine. Read Stone's Soup Corner my kid centric foodie column. See The fabulous cover that Matthew shot, and find out about seasonal foods and recipes. Grab one at your local natural foods store or farmers market, you can always subscribe. We hope you enjoy it!


Because peas are coming into season I changed this recipe to accommodate fresh peas but if you are unable to get them use frozen.

On the searing summer days of my childhood, I spent

long hours outside with other kids, playing hide

and seek, getting dirty, and making mud pies. The

moment we heard the bells of the ice cream truck, our ears

perked up in unison and we raced off to get our ice cream treat.

Now, 30-something years later, I hardly ever see an ice cream

man. Maybe it's because grocery stores today are stocked

with so many more ice cream choices, or maybe it's because

kids play indoors more. Whatever the reason, the summer

school break presents a great opportunity to spend time with

your kids, cooking with them and teaching them about food

and family. It should be easy to entice them into the kitchen

to help create these unique and deliciously cooling Minty

Pea Pops and Veggie Corn Pops.

They may not get to chase

the ice cream man, but they will be having fun, enjoying

their dessert, and eating their veggies, too!

Sweet Veggie Pops

A New Twist On an Old Treat

By Jenifer Carden



Minty Pea Pops

Peas on a Popsicle stick? Just tell them it tastes like mint–chocolate

chip ice cream—but these are not quite ice cream and not quite vegetable.

They are now a staple in our house—a great dessert, snack, or

treat on a hot day. Have your kids help shop for and shell the peas.

You'll love it when your child asks for a Pea Pop!

Makes 6 cube-shaped pops

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup shelled sweet English Peas

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/8 to 1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

6 Popsicle sticks or wooden craft sticks

Place the cream cheese, peas, and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl

and microwave on high for 20-second intervals until the cheese is

softened to room temperature.

Using a blender or food processor, puree these first three ingredients

into a smooth paste. Add the extract and mix again, scraping the

bowl frequently. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Place the mixture into a food grade plastic bag and cut about 1/2 inch

off of one of the bottom corners. Squeeze the puree into an ice cube

tray or mini muffin tin, place 1 Popsicle stick into each serving and

freeze until solid, about 1 hour. You may also spoon the puree into the

molds. Depending on your freezer, you may have to let them freeze for

up to 4 hours. For best results, make and freeze these overnight.

Once the pops are frozen, remove them from the molds by twisting

just like ice cubes. You may need to go around the edge with a warm

knife if you used a muffin tin. Sealed in an airtight container, these

will keep for up to 1 month.

Variation: Sprinkle a layer of graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the ice

cube trays or muffin cups and place the corn puree on top; the result will look and

taste similar to a mini cheesecake on a stick.



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13 comments:

active toddler said...

What a great dessert, I definitely will try it ... thanks :)

City Girl said...

WOW! Just found your blog and love it! I'm gonna give these a try but with my pea shoots I got at the farmer's market that are just about on their last legs. What a great idea!

amy said...

hello from hong kong! my husband bought this book a while ago and i finally made this special treat for our 2-year-old toddler. thanks!

take a look at our "modified" version (didn't have the popsicle sticks and i used toothpicks instead) here:
http://mackiefamily.blogspot.com/2009/07/d-for-dessert-s-for-summer.html#comments

Pei-Lin said...

Hello from Malaysia! Thanks for stopping by my blog first of all! Sorry for getting back to you this late, too! Oh, your pea pops look incredible! I've never seen or heard such a treat. I've bookmarked it. I just need the time to make it. (Too busy with life!) So, did you get to try out the green pea cookie recipe? How was it?

Kelly Polizzi said...

can i use frozen cooked peas?

Jennifer Carden said...

I usually use the frozen bagged peas, bright green and sweet. If yours are not bright green, the pops will not look appetizing. Most frozen peas are blanched for a short time in almost boiling water so they are in essence cooked.
Am I answering your question?

Kelly Polizzi said...

thank you so much, cant wait to try these!!

Jennifer Carden said...

Great! I just left a comment on your cute blog.

Vanessa Herrema said...

My daughter loved these! Thanks so much for posting this recipe!

http://vanessaherrema.blogspot.com/2010/06/pass-peas-please.html

Danielle said...

Just made them and popped them in the fridge - I snuck a taste and they are great! Can't wait to offer them to the kids later. Thanks so much!

Danielle said...

oops - meant FREEZER :)

Mindy said...

"B star" who I play Words with Friends with (and says you are her BFF) told me about your book, which I just ordered on Amazon. I'm really excited about it. And then I found your blog! I love it. I am excited to try a whole bunch of stuff on here. Thanks!

Virginia Sparrow said...

What a great idea for a healthy dessert. Kids love ice cream but not veggies, but now with your recipe kids will love veggies made of ice cream.