Back last summer, during all that rain, we received the sad news that Lin’s organic farm in Londonderry got so flooded that they were effectively written off for at least six months. I’m now happy to announce that we’re putting in our first order with them this year. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, we’re ordering snow pea shoots, which are a brand new produce item for us!
Lin’s used to supply us with a lot of our lettuce, Asian greens and bean sprouts. We look forward to working with them again in the coming months.
Snow peas are an early spring vegetable but right now the plants are providing wonderful tender green shoots. Snow Pea shoots or Dou Miao are a traditional ingredient in a lot of Chinese cooking. They are considered a delicacy and can be eaten raw in a salad, stir fried or blanched in soups.
Simple stir fried Dou Miao
Ingredients
1 bunch of snow pea shoots
1-2 tbl spoons of peanut oil (or similar light oil)
A splash of sesame oil (not essential but adds a great taste)
Garlic
Salt or soy sauce (whichever you prefer)
Sesame seeds
Method
Cut the bottom centimetre off the stalks, wash and shake off the water (or use a salad spinner). If you like, you can really coarsely chop the shoots (in half is often enough). Heat up your wok and throw in some sesame seeds. Dry fry them so that they toast. They’ll pop and crackle. Keep them moving and take care not to burn them. They only take one minute at most. Once done, quickly transfer to a bowl and place to one side.
Heat oil in the wok (peanut and sesame) until really hot (just before it smokes). Toss in the shoots and the garlic and add the soy sauce or salt. Stir fry for thirty seconds to a minute, or until the shoots are just wilted (work fast! You don’t want to lose the crispness). Serve immediately, sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds.
Other ideas: add some finely chopped fresh chilli for a bit of kick!
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