Ingredient of the Week: White Acre Peas

White acre peas are small, delicate legumes that have a creamy, mild taste and soft texture. They're related to the black eyed pea, but have a much softer outside making them more tender and definitely more refined. The peas themselves are also slightly smaller in size than purple hulls or black eyed peas. Grown and sold mostly in the South, they're also known as lady peas, cream peas or lady cream peas. Florida is where they are commonly referred to as "white acres."

What are they used for?

White acre peas are usually cooked as a traditional Southern side dish alongside the token corn bread or homemade biscuits and probably some stewed collard greens; and yes, there's usually some bacon in there.

Where can you buy them in Houston?

Actually, we need your help with this. If you know of a place, please leave it in the comment section. The last batch we bought was at a roadside farm stand in Gainesville, Florida -- Rogers Farm. We've never been able to find them in Houston.

Recipe

Perfect for the summer when both are in season: Heirloom tomato salad with fresh lady peas (Courtesy of MyRecipes.com)