Le Sueur Peas

Tenderness in a tin

Discovering Le Sueur peas has been an educational experience. I thought sueur meant "sweat." It does, but a meticulous inspection reveals that it can also mean "toil" or "labor." I also erroneously assumed these delicious peas were French, but they're from Le Sueur, Minnesota. A friendly employee at Le Sueur's city hall explained that the town was named for the farmers who grow vegetables in the area, and that it was also the original location of Green Giant headquarters.

These sweet, tender peas are the best I've ever had out of a can, and they come in two varieties: very young sweet peas, or young sweet peas with mushrooms and pearl onions. Star Market sells both kinds for $1.09 a can.

-- Theresa Regli