handmade by
Cobweb the Fairy Cobbler
Peapody is a fabulous rascal in the land of Fae. He’s tall – in fact quite the lankiest of the male fairies that I ever did see – and wears long-legged brown woollen trousers with turn ups – which, he tells me, are there to catch seeds!; an old (but still very serviceable) white with the faintest of line checks, collar-less shirt – with the sleeves rolled up; and braces which hold his trousers up and are attached to them with white bone buttons.
He’s a gardener in Fairy Land and has been around for a gazillion years. Well – that’s what he tells me, but I’m not entirely certain I believe him. To me he looks around his late eighties / early nineties – but hey, what do I know. I’m only a ”whipper-snapper” according to Peapody!
He gardens every single day. He says that no one else is going to take care of that forest so he has to work every day! To be honest, I think he just likes to garden – but he also likes to have people tell him he’s doing a wonderful job – so I did, and still do, often!
He used to wear boots. Brown, wrinkled, crinkled, cracked, leathery looking boots with laces, but he said that he’s far too busy and can’t be bothered with boots now and so decided a while ago that he was going to retire his boots and instead wear something more comfy. He asked Cobwebs the Cobbler to come up with something which he didn’t have to fuss with. He wanted: comfy with no laces; no zippers; no doodly uppy bits; no hobnails; no rivets and no holes. He said he just wanted to push his feet in and walk. And this is what Cobwebs the Fairy Cobbler came up with.
They look, to all intents and purposes, like they’ve been crafted from the pods of the peas which Peapody grows to make Pea Pod Soup, and they’re even adorned with peas!
Peapody was thrilled with them when he saw them, and, I’m told, hasn’t taken them off since because they’re sooo comfortable. One satisfied customer I think!
If you’re now wondering what Pea Pod Soup tastes like, Peapody very kindly shared his recipe, scroll down to find it!
Pea Pod Soup
Ingredients:
- A colander full of freshly emptied pea pods, rinsed
- 1 onion or a handful of spring onions, chopped
- A generous handful of fresh mint
- Light vegetable stock
- Seasoning: a little salt, a little pepper, a little sugar, a little lemon juice
- To garnish: more chopped spring onions and chopped fresh herbs of your choice
- Optional: a little yoghurt or cream (use vegan varieties for vegan soup!)
Method:
- In a large saucepan, gently fry the chopped onion or spring onions in a little olive oil for about 3 minutes. Put the pea pods and mint into the pan – discard any very woody stems but there’s no need to chop everything up, this soup will be going into the food processor later on. Add enough light vegetable stock to allow the pea pods to float about happily. Bring to the boil, then turn to a low heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Check the water level and top up if you need to.
- Allow the mixture to cool a little and then transfer to a food processor or liquidiser and whizz until smooth. Pea pods can be stringy, so be prepared to run the machine for several minutes and taste as you go so that you can be sure that the consistency is right for you. If all else fails and the consistency is still a bit too fibrous you can put the soup through a sieve.
- Return the soup to the pan, check the consistency and thin it down with a little more stock if you like. Check the taste and adjust it to suit your own preference using salt, pepper, sugar or lemon juice. This soup can be served warm or chilled. Top with finely chopped spring onions and fresh herbs, or a swirl of cream or yoghurt.
Yes, it’s a genuine recipe. You really can make and eat it.
Thanks for coming to read and take a peep at Peapody’s Slippers. I love them. What do you think?
Have a truly beautiful rest of your day all. ~
The Art of Cobwebs 