Recipe: Asian Snow Pea Garden Salad

Peas are the perfect spring garden salad ingredient! Quick to mature and fast-growers in the cooler weather, snow peas make an excellent addition to your gourmet garden salad. This one adds the Asian flavors of sesame oil, ginger, and soy sauce for an oriental taste which goes great with the fresh, crunchy veggies - mmmm...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Asian Snow Pea Garden Salad
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh garden snow peas, washed and strings trimmed off
1/2 cup carrots, cut into very thin strips
1/2 cup red bell peppers, cut into very thin strips
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger root
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, your choice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp oyster sauce (optional, may substitute with 1 Tbsp more soy sauce)
salt to taste
Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions:

• Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set in sink.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rapid boil.
• Prepare snap peas by dropping them in rapidly boiling water for just 20 seconds; immediately drain and dump into the ice bath, then drain in colander completely.
• Put blanched peas into a large salad bowl with the carrots, red bell peppers, and water chestnuts, cover, and keep cool. 

 To prepare dressing:

•  Put sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat, add ginger and mushrooms and saute until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook an additional 1 minute.
• Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce (if using), taste, and add salt if desired.  Allow mixture to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until well blended. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

• Prepare salad by adding dressing to fresh vegetables in salad bowl, tossing to combine.
• Serve on individual chilled salad plates with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds on each salad.