I first met pea shoots at the farmer's market last fall. They were part of the final planting of the season, and the guest chef in the Firehouse parking lot made an amazing salad of diced melon, wild Alaskan salmon, pea shoots and arugula. I was hooked, but I was warned by the pea shoot purveyor that the season is eye-blinkingly short - a week or two at most in spring and fall.

Peas are one of the first veggies we can expect to see at the farmers' market or receive in our CSA boxes. Peas are a cool-weather vegetable, so they are frequently planted before spring has officially sprung and lots of local farmers will start them in greenhouses. St. Patrick's Day is a traditional pea-planting time. Pea shoots, a.k.a. pea tendrils, are the young vines of pea plants.

I picked up my batch of pea shoots at the Laptop Butchershop earlier this month. Not only was I proud of myself for knowing what they were, I was also plumb thrilled to think that spring was actually around the corner, given that it was sleeting at the time. (It was that signature mix of rain, snow and bus exhaust that Pittsburgh has really mastered.) Fast forward a day, and my Bon Appetit arrives for the month - with an entire section of pea recipes, including the pea stir-fry that inspired my experimentation below.
 
 
Look Mom, I mised.*

Pea Shoot Stir-Fry
Adapted shamelessly from Epicurious based on the ingredients I had on hand

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups chopped onion (about one large)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 pound carrots, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices on the diagonal
1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
Small mountain coarsely chopped pea shoots**

Prepared white rice to serve

To prepare:
Heat oils over medium-high heat in a large, deep nonstick skillet or wok. Add the garlic, ginger and onion and saute for three minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add mushrooms and carrot and cook 3 minutes more. Add chicken and stir-fry 2 minutes, then add the soy sauce and rice vinegar. Stirring frequently, cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove pan from heat and stir in the pea shoots, mixing until leaves wilt. Serve with steamed rice.

*Because stir-frying is a fast, high-heat method, it's important that all of your ingredients are ready to go. You won't have time to chop in between additions unless you are a super-fast chopper.

**I have no idea what the quantity was, but it was a whole bag about the size of a pound of coffee.