Spring Greens

Bursting with colour and taste, of all the spring vegetables currently in season, the vibrant green of peas has won our hearts. We love this mix of pea shoots, sugar snaps, English peas and barley – all tossed together in a sweet-spicy Asian-inspired dressing.
Perfect for serving as a fresh side dish to fish, chicken, or as a nutritious vegetarian main course.

Three Peas with Barley, Chili and Green Garlic

185 g sugar snap peas, trimmed
155 g shelled English peas
105 g pearl barley
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon firmly packed golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon sambal oelek or other pure chili paste
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
20 g thinly sliced green garlic, or 4 garlic cloves, minced
20 g sliced green onions
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves
approx. 125 g pea shoots
salt, to taste.

Bring a large saucepan half full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the snap peas and English peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a colander and rinse under cold water. Set aside. Return the water in the saucepan to a boil, add the barley and cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, the 2 tablespoons water, brown sugar and sambal oelek until blended. Set aside.

In a large, heavy fry pan over high heat, warm the sesame oil. Add the green garlic, green onions and lime leaves and stir-fry until the green onions are tender, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved snap peas, English peas and barley along with the pea shoots and stir to coat. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and stir and toss until the peas and pea shoots are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes.

Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Image and recipe via http www.blog.williams-sonoma.com
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