What do you eat and, more importantly share, when your legs feel like mush and your brain thinks it's oatmeal? I'll wager the first thing that came to your mind is fresh sugarsnap peas. That's what jumped into mine. While I am, of course, jesting, this garden plain Jane can be made interesting with a little effort and a bit of garlic and ginger. The little effort part was especially appealing to me this evening. I'm battling eye strain, allergies and a body that thinks it's too old to do what it's been told to do. It's been forced to do some exercise it finds unpleasant and it's retaliating with aches and pains that are worthy of a television commercial. There is nothing seriously wrong, but a portion of the time we'll be spending in Turkey involves hiking on steep and uneven terrain. I'm an endurance champion on flat land, but the prospect of billy goat terrain convinced me my legs needed more and different exercise than they had been getting. They don't like the stair master - at all - but they are now in official training for our fall trip to Turkey and Morocco, and until they're accustomed to the new regime, easy dinners will be the order of the day. I decided to do a simple grilled salmon with steamed rice and included this slightly Asian version of sugarsnap peas. I love these peas, but they come with a caution. Unless they are field fresh they need to be "stringed" before being eaten. That simply means that the fibrous string that runs along the top of the pod must be removed. To do this, break off the stem tip of the pea pod. The stem is a rough area that extends slightly out from the top of the pod. You'll hear a snapping sound as the stem breaks. Gently pull the stem downward, pulling the strings on either side of the pod with it. This is an easy dish to make. In a pinch, you can even use garlic and ginger from a jar and have passably good results. The peas are sauteed and are table ready five minutes after they hit the pan. Those of you who are looking for new ways to prepare vegetables will enjoy them fixed in this manner. Here's the recipe.
Sauteed Sugarsnap Peas with Ginger and Garlic...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food.com
Ingredients:
1 pound sugarsnap peas
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced or finely shredded fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1) String peas by beginning at tip and pulling strings on eith side down. If peas are very young, you can omit this step. Cut off stem ends and leave whole. Place in colander and rinse under cold water. Shake well and drain.
2) In large skillet heat oil. Add garlic and ginger and saute briefly about 30 seconds. Add peas and, over medium high heat, toss and cook for 2-4 minutes, depending how large they are. Do not ovcercook. Add salt and pepper just as they are finished cooking. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 - 4 servings.
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