Sugar Snap Peas and Greens in a Snap!

We've been in Seattle for about 3 weeks now, we're in our apartment and have started our new jobs. Everything still feels fake and vacation-like, and it's taking us a while to get settled in. That can be expected I guess, but it's jarring and uncomfortable. Ben and I are trying to get back into a normal-ish schedule, and doing things that we always do and try to establish a new normal in Seattle. 

There a few things right off the bat that we love about where we're living, and the first of those is how close we are to the University Farmer's Market. We can see the Saturday morning market from our bedroom! That makes it pretty hard to skip, so a lot of our food has been inspired by the things we've found at the market.

This recipe is particularly easy to throw together for a quick dinner, and uses 2 things we have at the market right now, sugar snap peas, and pea greens. Pea greens seem pretty cost effective, I got a bunch for $3; snap peas are less cost effective, but they're some of my favorites, so I splurged. I hope to grow some on my balcony for the fall harvest (this idea is minimally researched, so don't take that as gardening advice) not only for food, but also as a sort of privacy screen.

Sugar Snap Peas and Greens

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb of chicken breast
1 inch of fresh ginger (skin peeled off)
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 pound of sugar snap peas
A few handfuls of pea greens
A squeeze of lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Spray a pan with non stick spray, then heat a pan on medium high heat.
2. Chop the chicken into bit sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides.
3. While the chicken is browning mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic chili sauce, and cider vinegar.
4. Prepare the snap peas by breaking off any leafy ends and rinsing them.
5. Mince the garlic and ginger.
6. Once the chicken is browned, put it to the side to rest.
7. In the same pan add the snap peas, ginger, and garlic, add in 1/4 cup of water and toss all for a few minutes until the peas are lightly steamed and bright green.
8. Add in the soy sauce mixture and toss for 20 seconds, remove from heat and combine with the chicken.
9. Plate the peas and chicken, top with a handful of pea greens and squeeze lime over the dish and serve.

What are your favorite finds at the farmers market at this time of year? I'm looking forward to garlic scapes!

Borough Market

Just a little south of the London Bridge is one of the oldest markets in England. The market was first mentioned in print in  1276, although the market itself claims to have existed since 1014. Borough Market caused such traffic congestion that in 1754 it was abolished by an Act of Parliament, but residents raised the funds to buy another parcel of land and reopened the market in 1756. The present Art Deco buildings were designed in 1851. (Thanks Wikipedia!) 

Click the arrows to see some more pictures-->

It was quite an incredible place, but given the hoards on a Saturday afternoon it won't be making any "best kept secrets" lists. The Saturday afternoon part was a mistake in hindsight, but I was on a tight schedule. It was difficult to move with all the people but once you got a sense of the place I could weave in and out of the stalls. There were the most exciting and varied fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, and cheeses. Since I had no idea what I was getting into I didn't make a plan, so I decided to document rather than buy, but oh what a place to shop for a meal or a lovely picnic along the Thames (just maybe not in January).