Lulu’s Adventure with the Little Green Peas

“On ira chez Louisa,” I told Lulu as I hurried to get her ready. Remove her pajamas. Brush her teeth. Dress. Simple tasks, but I’ve learned they can take a long time. I knew I shouldn’t make a fuss; many of my friends remind me that it always takes forever to leave the house in the morning. Little ones have strong opinions.

Still, certain words work like magic: Garden, Louisa, Outside, Soquette the cat. The moment I said them, Lulu’s eyes lit up. “Jardin ?” she repeated, excited.

The change was immediate. She removed her pajamas without protest, brushed her teeth, agreed to the outfit we chose together and let me braid her hair. She was ready.

As promised, I drove her to Louisa’s house so she could feed Soquette, sit in the small chairs by the back of the house and help collect peas, tomatoes, zucchini and beans. I’m looking after my friends’ garden while they’re vacationing in France, and that morning the garden felt like a small treasure trove.

We had a lovely time together in Louisa’s garden.

We found sweet green peas, bright cherry tomatoes and huge zucchinis. The beans surprised me most of all with their dramatic deep purple hue.

Lulu tried helping with the beans but quickly focused on the peas. She became a champion collector. “I found one!” she’d exclaim whenever she spotted a pod. “Open it please!” she’d add, and then pop the peas into her mouth as we added more to our white colander.

I smiled watching her. The scene pulled a memory from my own childhood—sitting with my mother in our garden in France picking peas. I remember doing exactly the same thing and being just as eager to taste them.

At one point I asked, “Tu m’en laisses pour le dîner de ce soir, d’accord?” (You’ll leave some for tonight’s dinner, okay?) She answered “Oui” without pausing her snacking—she wasn’t really listening, just enjoying that delicious mid-morning treat.

“I’m doing it toute seule!” she proudly announced between bites. It didn’t matter if only a few peas remained in the end; I was already planning a simple dinner focused on spring greens.

I had fava beans and green asparagus from the market, so I decided to steam them with the peas and serve everything with millet and a lemony, mustard-forward vinaigrette. It’s a dish I’ve made often this season—fresh, simple and full of cheerful green color.

That’s what we ate that evening. I served Lulu a small portion and reminded her, “C’est toi qui les a ramassés,” (You picked them!)—she beamed at once. She chose each pea carefully before eating it, and her concentration showed how much she enjoyed it.

Hearing her say “I did it, maman” now and then, I knew this morning in the garden would become one of her little memories: finding peas, chasing butterflies and petting Soquette.

To make the vinaigrette I combined mustard, lemon juice and minced garlic, then emulsified with olive oil and a touch of pistachio oil for extra flavor. I added chopped fresh herbs—dill, parsley and basil—to bring garden brightness to the dish. Serve the steamed greens and millet with the vinaigrette, and offer ricotta salata and slices of prosciutto on the side for a heartier meal.

It’s humble, seasonal food—perfect for a warm summer day and wonderfully satisfying.