Beach Peas!

I found beach peas!  This is exciting because it's a wild food that tastes just about exactly like a cultivated food.  I think this is fun because it feels more like finding food in the wild and less like turning something wild into something you would consider food.

I'm not sure if this takes away some of my hardcore naturalist points (if I have any), but I'll accept the hit. (Sort of like when I tried and tried to read Pride and Prejudice and just couldn't get into it even though I tried with all my heart.  I knew I was giving up forever being able to call myself "well read" but I just don't like Jane Austin and I don't care about her cutting-edge feminist rich people.  There I said it. But I do like the movies that have been made from her books because of the costumes!)

 There wasn't enough for me to harvest anything really serious, just enough to mix with some rice and have with dinner. Sometimes I like it when there isn't enough of something to keep.  All of this packing away takes me out of the moment of life.  I live in future-land too often as it is.   When we find something like four ripe raspberries, or three wild strawberries, or a cup of beach peas it's nice to have a complete moment, without the chore of  keeping.

So I pointed these little beauties out to my big girl.  She of course new what they were and started picking and shelling them with me.  The peas are smaller than regular peas, but very sweet and really, just perfect.  I am exceedingly proud to say that when she would come across one that had a dweller within she would say, "caterpillar," and toss the whole thing over her shoulder.

She has no fear of insects, which is more than I can say for myself at her age (or up until the age of about 25).

So we collected about a half a cup, snacked a bit on the beach and tossed the rest into some rice.  It was a great find and a fun activity.