New Potatoes and Peas

Here is another recipe that was passed on to me from my mother-in-law. New Potatoes and Peas is one of my husband's favorite meals and one that he was raised on, being raised on a potato farm. Now this dish is not one of my favorites - I like it, but it's just not a FAVORITE. (I think this favorite dish of my hubby's is like one of my favorite dishes, bread and milk. It's a favorite because it was something we were raised on.) But I wanted to include this recipe so that others can get a taste of Idaho culture.

Here's what you'll need:

1 1/2 lbs. new potatoes

Milk

1/2 C. (1 cube) butter, diced

Salt & Pepper

3 T. cornstarch

3 T. water
1/2 (1 lb) bag of frozen peas

Cover potatoes, in a pot, with water and boil for 20 minutes.

Drain water. Pour milk until you can see only some potatoes. Add diced butter and salt and pepper to taste.

In a small dish, mix together 3 T. cornstarch and 3 T. water. (If you want to try a cool science experiment, combine 3 T. cornstarch and 2 T. water. If you slowly put your finger in the mixture, it is a liquid. But if you quickly hit the mixture, it acts as a solid. Kind of CRAZY!!) When milk is hot, pour in starch mixture. Stir and allow to thicken. If too thick, add more milk until desired consistency. Pour in frozen peas. Simmer 5-10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste again.

The last time I made this, I added some leftover ham chunks and it was really yummy like that if that's something you'd like to do. If you try this, just think, you're getting a good taste of Idaho.