Stir-Fried Snap Peas with Beef and Red Peppers

Sugar snap peas are excellent straight out of the garden or in a salad, but they are also great in cooked dishes. Just be sure to cook them very lightly, so that they retain a little crispness. Here I combined them with red bell peppers, mainly because I am still using up the ones in my freezer - but it is a felicitous combination in both flavor and appearance. Thai basil I grow in my garden. If you don't find it locally, you can substitute Italian basil (not quite as good, but workable) or for a different flavor, cilantro. Serve this over rice.

1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 lb steak, cubed or thinly sliced
2 Tbsp minced ginger root
3/4 cup finely chopped garlic scapes
1-2 hot peppers, minced (optional)
1-2 red bell peppers, chopped
3/4 lb sugar snap peas, stemmed and stringed
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water, combined in a paste
1 1/2 cups Thai basil leaves

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the beef and cook over high heat until done, a few minutes. Remove to a plate or bowl.

Return the pan to the stove and add the ginger and scapes. Saute for a minute or two, then add the hot peppers and bell peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Add the snap peas and soy sauce and saute very briefly, then stir in the cornstarch mixture and Thai basil. Cook just until the basil starts to wilt, then remove from heat.

Serve over rice.

Serves about four.