Pea shoots are the young, tender tips and vines of the snow pea or the sugar snap pea plant. Once your plants are established and producing an abundance of pods, clip off leaf and tendril sections about 4 inches (10 cm) long. If you don't have your own plants, look for these tender shoots at farmers' markets or Asian grocery stores. Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chile paste, and tart, citrusy makrut lime leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

　　kosher salt

　　sugar snap peas, 6 oz (185 g), trimmed

　　English peas, 1 cup (5 oz/155 g) shelled

　　pearl barley, 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz/105 g)

　　rice vinegar, 2 tbsp

　　soy sauce, 2 tbsp

　　golden brown sugar, 1 tbsp firmly packed

　　sambal oelek or other pure chile paste, 1 tsp

　　Asian sesame oil, 1 tbsp

　　green garlic, 1/4 cup (3/4 oz/20 g) thinly sliced, or 4 cloves garlic, minced

　　green onions, 1/4 cup (1/4 oz/20 g) sliced

　　fresh makrut lime leaves, 2

　　pea shoots, about 1/4 lb (125 g)

　　

Step 1

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

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, brown sugar, and sambal oelek until blended. In a large, heavy frying 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, 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 dish and serve.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Editor’s note: This recipe's  headnote has been updated as a part of our archive repair project.

　　Reprinted with permission from Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Jeanne Kelley, © 2013 Weldon Owen