A CHINESE VEGETABLE POTPOURRI - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 111

Sample the roots in about 35 days, then try them again in 50 days. The longer you let
them grow, the greater the crop you'll get, but you may prefer the flavor of the younger
roots.
Varieties
Two different vegetables go by the name asparagus pea. The other one is a different
species (Lotus tetragonolobus) and much smaller. To confuse things even more, the al-
ternate name of L. tetragonolobus is winged pea. Plants grow only 12 to 18 inches tall,
and the pods reach only about 3 inches long at maturity. The showy flowers are red to
maroon, not pale blue. Again, you can eat the shoots and roots as well as the pods. For
best eating, gather pods of this species when they're only an inch long.
CULINARY USES
The asparagus flavor of the asparagus pea pods is most noticeable when they're
gathered well before they are fully mature, ideally, when not more than an inch long.
ASPARAGUS PEA PODS may be prepared in a variety of ways:
• Stir-fry, alone or in combination with meat or other vegetables.
• Sliver and cook briefly in a clear broth, and garnish with shredded scallions.
• Add to stews when the cooking is almost complete.
• Serve by themselves, boiled briefly and tossed with oil and a very little season-
ing.
• Cold pods, cooked crisp-tender, are delicious in salad.
SHOOTS, LEAVES, AND FLOWERS . In addition to the pods, the whole plant is edible. The
tender new shoots, young leaves, and pretty blue flowers are delicately delicious. They
make a fine addition to curries and clear soups. The flowers make an especially attract-
ive garnish for a salad, and the leaves can be cooked like spinach.
ROOTS . The roots are also edible. Since asparagus peas grow so abundantly, you may
feel you can sacrifice some of the plants to sample the roots. Dig when young (try after
35 days) and cook in any way you'd cook a sweet potato. Added to Indian dahl they
are superb. Thinly sliced, they make an interesting and authentic addition to stir-fried