Simple Sauteed Pea Shoots

Part of the excitement of getting a CSA box is not knowing what you are going to get. In a time when we are used to researching and reviewing everything before we receive it, the CSA box is still truly a surprise and helps us stick to clean eating!

That doesn’t mean that I don’t hop on line and try to see if the farmer has posted this weeks produce…I certainly do! But the information is never posted.  Just be patient, I tell myself. But it’s hard when you are a control freak like me!

Are Farmers Markets Cheaper than Grocery Stores?

As you might imagine, this is a difficult question to answer. In most cases, farmers markets are comparable to grocery stores. However, the food is much fresher and you can get to know the farmer that you are supporting!

Keep in mind that some farms use organic practices, including avoiding pesticides. However, it is expensive to be certified organic and they may decide that the cost is not worth the label. In that case, I encourage you to ask the farmers if they use organic practices.

If the answer is yes, then you will typically get a better deal on the “organically grown” produce that you would in the store.

When Are Pea Shoots in Season?

It’s an exciting time when pea shoots start showing up in farmers markets! They mark the beginning of Spring produce and typically mean that we will start to see a larger variety of vegetables real soon!

Pea shoots have a very short season in early Spring. So snatch them up as soon as you see them. it may only be there a few weeks! interested in the nutritional benefits of Pea Shoots? Read more HERE

Where do Pea Shoots Come From?

Pea shoots come from the pea plant! You may have suspected it, but I’m here to tell you that it really is just the plant that the green beans or snap peas grow on. The curly vine parts are called tendrils and pea shoots often contain the tendrils.

Sauteed Pea Shoots

Whenever I see a strange vegetable in my box, the first thing I do is taste it. It will taste different after it cooks but you can get a good sense of what it might taste like. In this case, it tasted like a snap pea but the texture was more of a cross between spinach and kale. That made it perfect for sauteeing!

Turns out it was really easy and delicious too!

In this recipe, I included frozen peas to add a variety of textures. I first soaked the peas in hot water for a few minutes then added them to the saute.

It was perfect.

This entire recipe takes about 5 minutes and the results are amazing. Try it once and you will be hooked!

Kid Note: The kids didn’t like this one for some reason! So I chopped the cooked Pea Shoots into small pieces and mixed it into their rice. They couldn’t taste it with the rice and ended up eating it without complaining!

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