Garden Candy – Sugar Snap and Snow Peas With Sesame Oil
People sometimes ask me about my favorite fruit or vegetable that I grow in the garden. Truthfully, the answer is whatever is ripe at the time. But, there are definitely some crops that rise above all others.
For example, fresh garlic, which is sticky and fragrant. Or warm, just-picked tomatoes, which are the main attraction of summer. And, sugar snap and snow peas, which are like garden candy; they are crunchy and plump and bursting with sugars, best eaten right off the vine.
Like most other garden vegetables, there is no comparison between those you grow yourself and picked at the peak of ripeness and those you can buy at a farmer’s market, let alone a supermarket. Now in June, it is the ideal time for sweet, edible-podded peas on Long Island where I live. Those you buy at the store are often picked before they are fully ripe and the sugars have developed, or they were harvested so long ago that the sugars have converted to starches and their sweetness is gone. Sometimes they are fibrous and stringy, a sign of harvesting too late or sitting too long before being eaten.
When there are too many on the vines to snack on while I’m working in the garden, I put a pile of sugar snap and snow peas on a plate for everyone to eat while waiting for dinner. Or I may serve them raw in salads or add them to a Thai curry right before serving, so they maintain their crunch. If I am planning a simple side dish, I sear them quickly and serve them as described in the recipe below. They are fresh, green, and still have their snap; the perfect accompaniment to a piece of fish, chicken, or meat.
Sugar Snap and Snow Peas with Sesame Oil
5 minutes, 2 to 3 servings
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
½ lb. sugar snap or snow peas (or a combination), trimmed
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp sesame seeds, mixed black and white (optional for garnish)
- Heat a medium skillet to high. Add sesame oil.
- When oil shimmers, add pea pods and stir. Cook, stirring constantly for about two minutes until their color turns to dark green. Be careful not to overcook the pods, lest they lose their crunch. Do not forget that they will continue to cook in their residual heat for a minute or two after they are off the burner, so remove them from the heat a moment or two before they are done.
- Add kosher salt and stir.
- Put the pea pods on a plate or in a bowl and sprinkle on sesame seeds, if desirable (I use white and black sesame seeds).
We are drooling!! Snow peas & sugar snaps my favorites.
Now is the time to eat them. If you can’t grow your own, try your local farmer’s market!!
need to pay you guys a visit and help you eat up your bounty!! looks great Max. Love your ohotos too!
Thanks Anne. You’re welcome any time!
Max, do you have either of the peas crawling up a trellis or anything? Loved your photo too, but couldn’t tell by the photo if they are being supported.
Sandy – They do crawl up a trellis. I have metal sign posts on either side of a row of peas, and lightweight deer mesh hanging between the posts so the pea vines can grab on and grow up them. The sugar snap pea variety I grow (Super Sugar Snap) grows about 5-6 feet tall, while the snow peas (Oregon Giant) only grow about 2-3 feet tall. The deer mesh works great as a trellis for light weight pea plants.