Sugar snap peas, snow peas, and garden (shell) peas are all available now from various farm vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.
The snow pea and sugar snap pea have edible pods. Garden peas, also known as shell peas, do not have edible pods. These peas have to be shelled before eating.
For the following recipe use either snow peas or sugar snap peas. You may want to remove the “string” on both sides of the peas by snapping off the stem tip, and gently pulling downward. The strings should come right off.
Sugar snap peas and snow peas can be eaten raw, or cooked lightly as in the Asian-inspired Stir-fried Snow Peas.
This recipe is from the “Farmers’ Market Favorite Recipes” cookbook available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market and at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office.
STIR-FRIED SNOW PEAS
1 pint (2 cups) snow peas, or sugar snap peas*
½ cup sliced red onion
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced sodium
1 tablespoon cooking sherry
½ cup mung bean sprouts
Dissolve cornstarch in water in small dish, add soy sauce and sherry. Set aside. Heat oil in wok. Stir-fry garlic and onion for a few minutes. Add snow peas and stir-fry for a few more minutes until lightly cooked. Move vegetables to outside of wok, making a well in the center. Pour cornstarch and liquid mixture into center of wok. Allow to come to a boil to thicken, then add sprouts, and mix all vegetables with thickened sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
Per Serving: 110 calories; 3.5 g fat (0.5 g sat); 0 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 505 mg sodium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (15% daily value).
Ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) are available at the Saratoga Farmers’ market on High Rock Avenue, open from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, and 9 a.m.-1p.m. Saturdays.
For more information about food and nutrition contact Diane Whitten,a nutrition educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension, by calling 885-8995 or e-mailing dwhitten@cornell.edu.
