Sauteed Pea Tendrils

From Matt Armendariz, mattbites.com

This is my favorite thing to do with these little babies. And by "do" I mean "not much". You'll only need a few ingredients and because it's so simple I'll leave the measurements up to you. I like to add a hint of garlic to the pea tendrils but because their flavor is so subtle I try not to overpower them.

Ingredients

Pea tendrils, a handful or so, rinsed and chopped into 2 inch pieces or so

Some olive oil

Garlic clove, cut in half

A sprinkle of sea salt

Chili flakes, if you like heat

Directions

Rinse and chop the pea tendrils. I like a rough chop as I like to see the little curlies in the final dish. In a skillet heat a little bit of olive oil and the garlic halves until the aroma and essence of the garlic is released; remove the garlic clove from the pan and save for later if you'd like. Add the chopped tendrils and saute until they cook slightly, how long will be up to you. But for pete's sake, don't overdo it, you want them barely wilted and still flavorful and crunchy! Serve with a tiny sprinkle of sea salt and maybe chili flakes if you want a little bit of heat. But like the garlic, don't overdo it!

Sauteed Pea Tendrils

Hi, my name is Tara and I'm a CSA Shareholder in Wynnewood, PA. My family (husband + 2.5 year old) is new to the CSA this year and really excited to try some interesting things while supporting our local farmers.

I don't know about you, but I had never heard of a pea tendril before last week's delivery. Google to the rescue! Here's a winner, should you find yourself with some pea tendrils in the future. Recipe can be found here.

Sauteed Pea Tendrils

6 Servings

Ingredients

2 tbsps olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsps butter

1lb pea tendrils

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Discard garlic. Add butter, then pea tendrils. Cover; cook just until wilted, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes:

Since we received a much smaller portion of pea tendrils, I reduced the quantities and served as a small side dish.

Spring Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home: 52 Quick Meals to Cook for Family and Friends, published in 2009. Martha writes that this recipe "is very simple, so the quality of each ingredient is key." A great way to use up those delicious spring greens that are so abundant in our shares right now.

Spring Salad with Fresh Mozzarella
Serves 4

Ingredients
2½ cups tender spring greens (baby lettuce leaves, mache, pea tendrils, etc.)
1 ball (10 ounces) fresh mozzarella, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2-inch thick crosswise (Martha recommends using fresh buffalo mozzarella for the "tangy" flavor)
2 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 radishes, trimmed and sliced into rounds
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Place spring greens on a platter, and arrange mozzarella and radishes on top. Sprinkle with scallions. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the oil.

Pea Tendrils

Snow peas growing at Lancaster Farmacy.

Several of our CSA shareholders have emailed asking for more information about the pea tendrils coming in their shares this week! Pea tendrils are the young leaves and shoots of snow or snap pea plants. They offer incredible nutritional value, packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and folic acid. Commonly used in Asian cuisine, their taste is very similar that of a pea and they make a great addition to a salad, soup, or any other dish where snow or snap peas would be appropriate. Because pea tendrils are so fragile, it's best to keep them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Try making a pea tendril salad (cracked black pepper, kosher salt, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar), or sautéing (olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, and butter over medium-high heat until tendrils are just wilted), or making a Rainbow Garden Salad (see recipe below, adapted from PeaShoots.com, http://www.peashoots.com/peashoots.htm).

Rainbow Garden Salad
Ingredients
2 carrots
1 bell pepper
handful of cherry tomatoes
pea shoots
radishes
half a red onion
half a lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
Top, tail and peel the carrot, then using a vegetable peeler, make long ribbons. Slice the pepper into long thin strips. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Thinly slice the radishes and red onion. Place all of these ingredients into a salad bowl with the pea shoots. Drizzle on the olive oil and the juice of the lemon; then season.