Spring time, pea time. Also of green beans, of course, which are good, especially fresh. And what about the beans? And then, there are the jackdaws. They are good, sweet and full of health. Like the previous ones, it is a legume, not a vegetable, therefore in a nutshell, a real superfood. And in fact the owned jackdaws really do have many. Let's see together what they are, and then how to choose and prepare this gift of spring.

First of all: jackdaws, unlike peas, you eat everything, both the seeds and the pod. This is why they are also known as "pea mangiatutto". There are two varieties, one more rounded and similar to the pea, in fact, and a flatter one, with little developed seeds.

The best friend of the jackdaws is the gut: this legume really helps bowel regularity, primarily thanks to its high fiber content. Another feature of them is to be a remineralizing food, that is able to bring important amounts of mineral salts to the body. Among the many, they are particularly rich in iron – important for anemics. And of all this means that they are very good for fight fatigue. they many vitamins and so they are a legume, therefore, theirs protein intake, when combined with a cereal, it is equal to that of meat.

It's not over: like peas, they contain plant estrogens which help women balance the cycle menstrual, especially when it is painful and problematic but also to prevent osteoporosis. And then they are very low in calories, satiating and with the characteristic of contributing to reduce sugar absorption and fat: perfect for getting in shape before the summer, then!

Select beautiful fresh jackdaws, firm but soft, intact and free of yellowish or moldy parts. The jackdaws are easy to clean and prepare: just wash them and get rid of the petiole (and if they are a little harder, the fibrous thread that flows to the sides of the pod) and then cook them, boiled or directly in the pan. If we traditionally use rather soft (careful not to prolong cooking too much, to avoid that they fall apart), a suggestion is to try them in the more crunchy version, stirring them "to the east" to a point of cooking a little earlier than when you would normally light the fire.

Theirs sweet and delicate flavor makes them really versatile in the kitchen. They can be steamed and simply eaten with oil, salt and lemon or vinegar. Sautéed and seasoned, with spices and other flavorings at will, such as roasted sesame seeds rather than almond grit. They are very good stew with tomato and enrich the salads of the good season: combine them for example with a hard-boiled egg but also with a fresh or preserved fish, for example a mackerel for a more decisive taste or delicious shrimps.

Aurora Quinto
March 2019

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