(Photo: Kang Kim. Illustration by John Burgoyne.)

The go-to stir-fried green at any decent Chinese-food feast, pea shoots have a tender texture and fresh, vegetal flavor that echoes the pea itself. Unlike the eagerly anticipated peas of spring, though, the shoots have a secondary local growing season. The greens harvested in the fall grow sweeter and sweeter the colder it gets. Try them quickly sautéed with pine nuts and raisins in this simple recipe from Mercat chef Ryan Lowder.

Ryan Lowder’s Catalan Pea Shoots
1 pound (roughly 4 large handfuls) pea shoots, available at Gorzynski Ornery Farm or Windfall Farms at Union Square Greenmarket
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup raisins
2 tbsp. butter
Salt
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

(1) Wash and stem the pea shoots. (2) Over medium-high heat, in a pan large enough to hold the shoots, cook the pine nuts and raisins in the butter until the nuts start to brown. Add shoots and a pinch of salt, stir, and turn constantly until shoots cook down and are incorporated with the other ingredients (this should take 30 seconds to 1 minute). Check seasoning and add salt if necessary. (3) Leave excess butter in the pan, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 4.

Related:

• Archive: “In Season”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: Oct 15, 2007 issue of New York | Subscribe!