The Skinny on Snap Pea’s along with an Amazing Salad!

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Snap Peas, also known as sugar snap peas are an edible-podded pea. They are different from snow peas because their pods are round as opposed to flat. Snap peas, like all other peas, are pod fruits. There are also garden or English peas which are similar to snap peas, but their pod is more fibrous and is not edible.

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Snap peas are often served in salads or eaten as a crudité with dips. They may also be stir-fried or steamed. Before being eaten, mature snap pea pods may need to be “stringed,” which means the membranous string running along the top of the pod from base to tip is removed.

This is easily done by using your fingernails or the tips of your fingers to snap off the stem end or blossom end of the pea toward the top seam, leaving the stringy part attached. The partially disconnected end will act as your “zipper pull.” Pull the disconnected stem end to remove the string, much as you would unzip a zipper. If the string breaks before you’ve removed it all, repeat the process using the other end of the pea.

It won´t hurt you to eat the membrane, but why would you want to when they’re so simple to remove?

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 I used my Talley Farms snap peas that were sourced from Tomahawk Farms along with their orange carrots, purple radishes, cilantro, green onions and Napa Cabbage to create this amazing salad! I added in some rotisserie chicken, toasted slivered almonds & sesame seeds, uncooked ramen noodles and tossed it all with an Asian flavored dressing to serve at a Super Bowl party I attended. It was gobbled up with oodles of compliments and second helpings. It is similar to a classic cabbage salad that so many people have their own version of. However, the addition of the fresh Talley Farms produce took it from ordinary to exceptional! 

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ASIAN CABBAGE SALAD

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 head Napa cabbage, sliced thin
  • 6 green onions, sliced thin – white and light green parts only
  • 1 cup snap peas, stringed and sliced in 1 inch pieces on a diagonal
  • 1/2 cup radishes, sliced very thin using a mandoline 
  • 4 medium carrots, shredded very thin
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, loosely chopped
  • 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken pieces
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1/8 cup white sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1 package ramen noodles, uncooked and broken into small chunks

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 packet of chicken flavor seasoning from ramen noodles
  • 1 teaspoons sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Mix all salad ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with the dressing to taste. Make sure not to omit the salt and pepper as it is crucial to balance the flavors of the dressing. 

Note

  • When making the salad in advance, store each of these items separately in zip top bags or containers:
    • Vegetables (refrigerate)
    • Cilantro (refrigerate)
    • Chicken (refrigerate)
    • Salad dressing (refrigerate)
    • Nuts, seeds and ramen (room temperature)
  • Assemble and toss with dressing right before serving to ensure that everything will be crisp and fresh tasting. 

(Printable recipe can be found in my recipe index under Salads)

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