One of the spring garden’s most fleeting offerings are pea shoots. Peas are the first seeds we plant in the garden. Snow peas or edible pods, as they are also called, are planted as early in March as possible, as soon as the ground is at it’s proper tilth. For several years we have been growing peas not just for their pods but some peas for the shoots alone.
Our first encounter with pea shoots was as a side dish in a Chinese restaurant where they are called dou miao . Once only available from Asian grocers, they have become increasingly common at the local farmers market. Pea shoots are the first vegetable ready to harvest from the garden, less than a month after their planting. The round leaves and wispy tips are reminiscent of a green butterfly. I pinch off the tender tips, the top several leaves and the tendril that ends the vine, in turn they will send out new growth for the next harvest in several days. It is hard to resist nibbling on a few while you are harvesting, they are crunchy and have the delicate flavor of a fresh picked pea. Pea shoots are nutrient dense, an excellent source of vitamins C, K and A, and a good source of vitamin E. The tendrils and leaves of any edible pea can be harvested for shoots. Just remember the shoots of the ornamental sweet pea are poisonous.
After they are rinsed and spun in a salad spinner they can be added raw to salads. What might appear to look like a great quantity of shoots cooks down to next to nothing. A quick saute with some Asian sesame oil with a garnish of toasted sesame seeds is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. Last night I had asparagus from Milk House Farm so I combined the two together for a tasty spring side dish. We will enjoy pea shoots, and eventually peas until the warm summer temperatures in late June kill off the vines.
Saute of Asparagus and Pea Shoots
Recipe of my own design
- 2 cloves garlic-peeled and chopped finely
- 1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed, sliced on the diagonal in 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 colander full of pea shoots, washed and spun 6-7 cups
- Asian sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Saute garlic in 1 T sesame oil, add asparagus and saute until asparagus is tender and beginning to brown, 5-6 minutes, this will depend on the thickness of the stalks.
- Add pea shoots and saute until wilted, about one minute. Add additional sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste. Top with toasted sesame seeds.
