Pea shoots-now what?

[littleneck]

I could not pass up a lovely bag of pea shoots at the farmer's market today, but I have no plan for them. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Nettie]

They're fabulous stirred in near the end of making a risotto, maybe with just a little ham.

[tatyr]

They're delicious in a salad with other spring vegetables, like asparagus and fava beans, with a sherry vinegar and walnut oil dressing. FYI, they're extremely easy to grow, and you can probably try them in a bright window. I spent $1.25 on seeds and have grown enough so far for 4 huge salads, and am waiting for the second crop to grow in from the cut seedlings (which will be slightly tough) for stir-fries.

[The Dairy Queen]

You can make pesto with pea shoots!

P.S. I'm with soupkitten--I can't wait for my pea shoots! I'm thinking that's going to be in about 2-3 weeks?

~TDQ

[sarah galvin]

I have a recipe for fois gras with pea shoots and rhubarb confit.

[HSBSteveM]

I'm sure plenty of ideas will be posted here, but I want to focus on the prep of the shoots. If you have never tried these, take a small bundle and nibble on them starting from the top. What you will discover is that the base of them is so tough and sinewy, you will have to spit out the strands (unless you really need some fiber). So I only use the top half and discard the bottom. From trial and error, I have learned that the ideal place to cut them is right at the point where tiny new leaves have sprouted. In short, get to know these shoots a little before diving into the recipes.

[MMRuth]

Suzanne Goin has a recipe for carbonara that uses them, along with peas. Delicious, though unorthodox.

[Miss Needle]

You can also stir-fry them very briefly with a bit of ginger and salt. Whatever you do, I would keep it delicate.

[Joebob]

May I suggest finely-diced garlic too or instead of the ginger, which can overpower the delicacy.

[Miss Needle]

I've done with garlic as well. It's pretty good. With the ginger, I first saute a couple of big slices of ginger in the oil as opposed to minced ginger. It flavors the oil slightly and makes the entire dish very delicate. But pea shoots are so delicious to whatever one does to them should come out good.

[soupkitten]

i just bling the heck out of fresh green salads with them, if i've an audience, or snack on them raw if i don't. they're just fun to eat and look at, i can't wait to get fresh ones here!!! (late spring in msp)