One of my favorite childhood gardening memories is of peas. I vividly remember planting and harvesting vegetables to have with dinner. on this particular day the memory is a little different. Mid spring as we were finishing our harvest of spring peas it started to rain. It was one of those rains where the sun was still shining but the rain was coming down. Nothing we aren’t use to...we do live in Kansas. There we stood, taking shelter under one of the big crabapple trees as the back of our property line, with a strainer full of freshly harvested sugar peas. If you have never had a freshly harvested snap pea it is something I highly recommend. Freshly harvested sugar peas are sweet, as their name implies, yet have a earthy tone and crunch that yells Spring time. As we stood under the tree, it was quiet except the rain, the sun was shining and we were munching on those sugar peas. Soon the rain stopped and we made a dash for the house, however one thing was missing...the peas. While we waited for the rain to end we ate the entire strainer of peas. Fast forward 20, or so, years and I could still eat a strainer of peas. Now in reality it probably wasn’t full, but, as a childhood memory I remember it overflowing.
After all this time I still enjoy the flavor of spring peas. They are drastically different than the peas from a can. Although as a child I didn’t realize how versatile they were. I, like so many, only assumed the peas could be eaten. However, as my love for food has expanded so has my knowledge. And that is where pea shoots entered my life.
Not only can the pea pods be eaten but the pea shoot make for a tasty treat as well. Whether you add them to a salad or wrap to achieve that spring flavor, or satue them for stir fry the possibilities, like with many foods, are endless. Pea shoot have a crunchy texture when eaten raw and taste like a fresh pea. At then to a sauté pan and you still have the pea flavor but the texture is similar to sautéed spinach.
If you, like me, love the flavor of peas and want to add nutrients to your dishes pea shoots, like so many green vegetables, are a fantastic option. Loaded with vitamin A and vitamin C pea shoots can help reduce inflammatory disease, increase your immune system function, and help prevent diabetes. All these added benefits with minimal calories makes pea shoots great for snacking and enhancing your dishes!!!
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