Pea shoots from Little Seed Gardens
Pea shoots! Pea scores!
One of the fun things about going to the farmers' market is that you're never quite sure what you're going to find. Sometimes that means disappointment (all the tomatoes are gone!), but more often it means pleasant suprises.
A few years back we came across one of those little surprises at the Little Seed Gardens stand at the Troy market. They were selling pea shoots. Pea shoots? What's a pea shoot? So we tried some. And we're glad we did.
Pea shoots are pretty much what they sound like -- they're the tender leaves of pea plants (pdf). Yep, they do taste a little bit like peas. But they also have a mellow, green, earthy flavor. And they're packed with nutrients.
The shoots are a nice alternative to regular salad greens. We've found that they're pretty versatile -- they go well with a simple lemon juice and olive oil dressing, but just this past weekend we had them with cherry tomatoes, chopped up bacon and just a touch of ranch dressing. It was like an earthy BLT (well, BLPS) salad.
There are a probably a few other farms growing pea shoots, but we always get ours at the Troy Market from Little Seed (their farm is in Chatham). We checked with them this week and they said pea shoots should be available weekly for awhile.
Find It
Little Seed Gardens at the Troy Farmers' Market
420 River St
Troy, NY 12180
The market is every Saturday morning from 9 am - 1 pm.
Little Seed's stand is located right in the middle of the market.
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Comments
I think these are the same as the pea tips they always sell at the Asian Market on Colvin. They do come in big bags though. I've never tried them raw but they're quite good just sauteed with garlic and oil or to top off a clear soup. Put them in just before you turn off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. They'll be bright green with a slight crunch to it. You might lose some of the earthy flavor (as most greens do when heated) but you'll get a faint sweet aftertaste in exchange.
... said Josie on Aug 19, 2008 at 12:33 PM | link
Pea shoots are also good tossed in sesame oil and vinegar with a warm piece of grilled fish or some grilled shrimp on top.
... said Honey on Aug 19, 2008 at 2:32 PM | link
Olivia and family, (Little Seeds Owners0 have benn selling these tasty bits for years. Treat yourself to some of these tasty bits.
... said speshulk99 on Mar 16, 2011 at 6:25 AM | link