Buttered Peas

This was a beautiful side dish to accompany the wonderful Boeuf Bourguignon. It's a very simple and fundamental process to enjoy the beautiful vegetable. I did one minor cheat for this recipe, I used frozen peas, which are sweeter and frozen at the beginning stages of within harvest. Fresh peas aren't available until later in season around June or so. There's nothing wrong using frozen peas just as long as you find good frozen peas, but I found organic sweet peas found at my local farmers market.

Buttered Peas
Adapted from Julia Child - Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Ingredients:
3 pounds of very tender, sweet, youn, fresh green peas (3 cups, shelled) or 1 pound frozen peas
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 tablespoon sugar (depending on sweetness of peas)
Salt & pepper
6 tablespoons butter, formed into little shells or cut into pieces
Preparation:
1. Drop the frozen peas into rapidly boiling salted water. Bring the water to the boil again as quickly as possible. Boil slowly, uncovered, for 4 to 8 minutes, testing the peas frequently by eating one. They will have more taste and be greener if they are drained to the point where they are tender but still retain a suggestion of texture. But this is a matter of personal taste, and they maybe boiled a few more minutes if you wish.
2. Drain the peas immediately. Place in the saucepan with the seasonings and roll them gently over moderate heat for a moment or two to evaporate all their humidity. Correct seasoning. Turn the peas into a hot vegetable dish, arrange the butter over them, and serve at once.

Review: It paired beautifully with the Boeuf Bourguignon. It was simple, light and delicious. If you don't like buttered peas, then you could serve it with green beans, too.