Give Peas a Chance. Peas are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, thiamine (B1), iron and phosphorus. Just one serving of peas contains as much vitamin C as two large apples, more fiber than a slice of wholegrain bread and more vitamin B1 than a pint of whole milk. Peas taste great tossed in omelettes, pizzas, pastas, soups, salads, casseroles and curries, but they also taste good on their own. Peas cook in under 3 minutes and can be steamed or boiled. The less water you use when boiling, the less vitamin C lost.
(Info from Peas.org)

Varieties
Peas are divided into two categories: those with edible pods and those without them. Green Pea, English Pea, and Garden Pea, all fall into the category of the peas with pods not to be eaten. As to specific varieties, most commercial peas are either called garden or English peas. Petit pois are not a variety of peas but merely green peas that have been picked before full maturity. Since they are picked early, they are smaller than normal green peas. Snap peas look like miniature versions of the green pea pods, except the snap pea pods are edible. Sugar Snap and Sugar Daddy are the two varieties of snap peas. The Sugar Daddy is actually a cross between the green pea and the snow pea, and is a string-less sugar snap pea. You don't have to necessarily remove the strings form Sugar Snap peas before cooking. Snow peas used to be seen only in Chinese restaurants, but they're now available almost everywhere. The pale green, edible pods are flat and wide, with the outlines of little peas visible throughout the pod. There are often strings, but again, they need not be removed. Snow peas are also called Sugar Peas, China Peas, and Mangetout, which in France means, "eat it all." Sound advice indeed!
(from TonyTantillo.com)

Storage

Store unwashed peas in perforated plastic bags for a few days. The sooner they are eaten the better.

Preparation, uses, and tips

Fresh peas should be used immediately and are best when barely steamed or eaten raw. They can be enjoyed on their own, or added to salads or stir-fried dishes at the last minute. Snow peas have flavorful, tender pods that are frequently used in preparing Asian dishes. Dried peas, both whole and split, are delicious used in soups and stews. Before cooking, soak whole dried peas for four to six hours, then pressure cook for ten minutes, use a crockpot, or cook on the stovetop for an hour. French “petits pois” are simply young peas, not another variety. Split peas are often used in Indian dishes, such as dhal. Uncooked, soaked split peas can be ground and steamed to make a cakelike vegetable loaf.

Nutritional Highlights

Peas (raw), 1 cup
Calories: 117
Protein: 7.8g
Carbohydrate: 21g
Total Fat: 0.58g
Fiber: 7.4g
*Excellent source of: Folate (94mcg), Vitamin A (928 IU), and Vitamin C (58mg)
*Good source of: Zinc (1.8mg) *Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specificnutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.
(Most of the info above is quoted from MotherNature.com)

David and Nicole's Macon Street Pasta & Peas

Here’s something we came up with for our share of peas and part of the spring onions—it was too catch as catch can to call a recipe but…

• 1 Bed-Stuy CSA share of Peas
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 small spring onion
• ¼ cup or so fresh goat cheese
• pasta (probably best with a [bit-sized] shape like penne or bowties rather than spaghetti or linguine, etc.)
• fresh thyme
• parmesan (optional)
• salt and pepper

1. Set water boiling for pasta (we used penne)
2. Remove peas from pods
3. Cut the smallest of the spring onions in half and then thinly slice the halves
4. Warm about 1 tbsp of butter in a pan over medium-high heat, adding the onions once the butter starts to bubble
5. Sauté the onions for about a minute (they should not change color), then add the peas and salt and pepper, stirring everything in the butter so it’s coated
6. Add about 2 tbsp of water, cover the pan, and lower the heat to medium-low, cooking until the peas are just soft enough to eat
7. Before draining the pasta, reserve about ¼ cup of the pasta water, and use that to soften the goat cheese in a bowl, to which you can then add first the pasta and then the peas
8. Throw in a little bit of fresh thyme at the end and, if you like, a little bit of grated Parmesan

Pea Chili in Taco Shells

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 12 oz. faux ground beef-style crumbles (eg. Yves Veggie Ground Round or Morning Star Veggie Crumbles)
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 –2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• about 2 cups navy beans (1 can drained and rinsed or 2 cups cooked)
• 4 oz tomato paste
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 1/4 cup frozen peas
• To serve:
• Taco Shells, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, soured cream (optional)

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, deep frying pan and brown the burger crumbles. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in the pan and add the onion. Cook gently for 5 – 10 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic, cumin seeds and chili powder to taste, depending on how hot you like your chilli. Cook the garlic and spices with the onion for 1 minute, then add the tomato puree and cook, stirring for a further minute. Add the navy beans to the pan and coat with the onion and spice mixture, then return the browned burger crumbles to the pan and mix well.
2. Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and simmer gently for 10 – 15 minutes, until the liquid has reduced and the chili has thickened. Add the frozen peas and simmer for a further 3 minutes.
3. Serve the chili in the taco shells, with grated cheese, shredded lettuce and soured cream on the side.

(Recipe adapted from one found on Peas.org)