Sugar Snap Peas

(5.00 out of 5, with 2 votes)

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Posted on May 7, 2011

As I am teaching myself to eat seasonally, it’s so fun how much I’m learning about new fruits and vegetables. I was definitely one of those people who had no idea what season anything was (I could probably have told you corn was a summer thing and pumpkins were a fall thing, and that’s about it), but as I try to pay attention to what my stores, farmers markets, and CSA have at different times of year, I am getting much better at realizing that there is a strong season to many things.

One of those things is sugar snap peas – definitely a spring and summer vegetable! At least if you judge by when they start showing up in my CSA box. I had tried them before in stir-fries and things and thought they were ok but had a certain aftertaste I didn’t love. But now I’ve figured out how to make them the way I like them and they’re really tasty!

Fortunately, the way I like them is also really easy. Just “string” them (this means snapping off the little leafy stem part and pulling down until the string along the edge comes off – it will make perfect sense once you try it) and then toss them with a bit of olive oil, some thyme, salt, and pepper. You can also add a pinch of garlic powder if you like that kind of thing.

Then spread them out on a cookie sheet and roast them at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes until they are just starting to brown.

That’s it! These make a great, healthy side dish. Incidentally, you can use this exact technique to cook asparagus, another spring/summer vegetable that makes an awesome side dish!