A CHINESE VEGETABLE POTPOURRI - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 108

seed, the vine will stop producing. It's hard not to overlook some. My husband, Don,
taught me to shake the vine gently. This makes the peas swing back and forth, and the
movement makes the pods easy to spot. Now I never miss a pod.
At the height of the season you may have to pick your snow peas twice a day. This
sounds incredible to anyone who hasn't grown snow peas, but it's no exaggeration. I
end up with pounds in my refrigerator and usually have to take off a morning to freeze
a batch.
Varieties
Unlike many Asian vegetables, with snow peas you have more of a selection. Some
varieties are dwarf and have a bushy rather than a vining habit. Generally speaking, the
bush varieties bear earlier than the vine varieties. I've grown only the vining kind, but
the bush varieties theoretically don't have to be supported. If you grow the tall varieties
up the side of a fence the way I do, vines are less work than bush types; they grow by
themselves with only an occasional assist if the winds are from the wrong direction, and
they're easier to harvest.
Varieties to look for: Mammoth Melting Sugar, Oregon Sugar Pod II, Premium.
CULINARY USES
Snow peas combine the best features of snap beans (tender and crisp) and garden peas
(sweet and meaty). They can be used any way you would use either of the other ve-
getables. They are, of course, essential to Asian cuisine and are used in soups, meat
dishes, stir-fry dishes, and sukiyaki. If you have vegetarian friends who won't eat
shrimp tempura, give them snow peas tempura as a special treat.
Snow peas go with fish and combine well with other vegetables. Especially useful
for busy cooks, they require little preparation. Just remove the ends and any strings,
wash, drain, and cook quickly. Steam for about 10 minutes in a little boiling water, toss
with butter, and serve. Or stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes in sesame oil and toss with a bit of
soy sauce.
Ideally they should be cooked as soon as they're picked. If it's more convenient,
pick them early in the morning, rinse in cold water, drain, and refrigerate in the veget-
able compartment. They'll be all ready to stem and cook for dinner, and the flavor will
still be first rate. I've kept them as long as a week in the refrigerator. To keep them
longer than that, blanch them, drain thoroughly, and freeze for out-of-season use.