These peas cook in a snap but are best eaten raw

It’s pretty hard to wreck a sugar snap pea unless you overcook them. They’re best raw or just barely blanched. The two methods preferred by most chefs are to either quickly stir-fry them in a bit of oil or place them in a colander and pour boiling water over them. If chilling is required, then plunge them into cold water after the colander treatment.

You needn’t feel like a Cordon Bleu dropout if your sugar snap pea knowledge is limited. It wasn’t until 1978, after almost a decade of research, that Calvin Lamborne and M.C. Parker of the Gallatin Valley Seed Company in Twin Falls, Idaho, introduced this unusual pea variety to the rest of the world. It wasn’t like the common shell pea, nor was it the edible-pod snow pea typically used in Asian stir-fry dishes.

This new variety is a combination of both. Because of the normal-sized peas and exterior shape, it looked a lot like the shell pea. But the pod wall is specially bred to be low in fiber and very, very sweet. The result was a plump little vegetable that can be popped into your mouth raw, pod and all.

Horticulturists who know their peas point out that Lamborne and Parker didn’t “invent” the sugar snap. There have been peas with those same basic characteristics before.

But for some reason they had disappeared from cultivation by the turn of the century. However, every youngster who has been won over by the delectable sugar snap has these two scientists’ marketing and promotional savvy to thank for the re-introduction.

This is the time of year when these little green gems are available from local fields. They’re a wonderful, healthy snack, so buy them by the pound and keep a bowlful in the refrigerator. If you do cook them, remember, only the briefest treatment of heat is required or you’ll miss out on the crunch and sweet flavor.

Sugar snap pea salad with toasted sesame seeds

1pound fresh sugar snap peas

2teaspoons sesame oil

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2teaspoons minced fresh cilantro, minced

1teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1tablespoon Chili Garlic Sauce (see note below)

2tablespoons Oriental rice vinegar

1/4cup, approximately, toasted sesame seeds

Pare away the stem end from each sugar snap pea. Have a big pot of ice water standing by.

Meanwhile, place the peas in a large colander; pour about 2 quarts of boiling water over them to just barely blanch the peas. Then immediately plunge them into the cold water to set the color and stop the cooking; drain well and blot dry with paper towels.

To assemble the salad, toss the peas with the sesame oil, olive oil, cilantro and ginger. Chill until ready to serve (up to several hours). Before serving, add the hot chili garlic sauce and the vinegar and toss again.

Note on chili garlic sauce: This is a commercially prepared condiment which is available in the specialty food section of most supermarkets.

One delicious way to use the sugar snap is in a tempura batter, either as the star ingredient or as part of a larger selection of fresh vegetables

Sugar snap pea tempura

2eggs

2cups cold water

2cups sifted flour

1/4teaspoon salt

Peanut or canola oil

1/4pound sugar snap peas (or combination of vegetables as described below)

Tempura dipping sauce

Beat together the eggs and ice water. Add flour and salt, then mix with a fork or chopsticks until barely combined.

In a wok or deep heavy pan, heat about 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, check to make sure the vegetables are very dry. Dip the vegetables into the batter and slice into hot oil. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables have a delicate, barely golden crust. Don’t add too many vegetables at a time to the oil or the temperature will drop and the coating will be soggy.

Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon or chopsticks to a draining rack or paper-towel-lined platter. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Tempura dipping sauce: Into a small bowl, pour 3 tablespoons commercially prepared tempura sauce. (A teriyaki-style sauce may be substituted). Add 2 tablespoons of water and a little grated fresh horseradish and ginger, if desired.

Vegetables suitable for tempura: whole sugar snap peas, thinly sliced eggplant, thinly sliced zucchini, thinly sliced patty pan squash rounds, thinly sliced onion rounds, broccoli and cauliflower florets, flat carrot strips, flat kohlrabi strips, white turnip rounds, squash blossoms, spinach or chard leaves, parsley sprigs, small whole green beans or sliced mushrooms.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail, at janrd@proaxis.com.