BOK CHOY
Is commonly used in Chinese dishes. It has a crisp, juicy texture that is great for eating raw or cooked. Bok Choy is similar to celery in that it has a fibrous make up. Cutting the ribs into thin pieces makes sure you don’t have any stringiness happening!
STORAGE: Store in a closed container or in a plastic bag in the fridge. Keeping the greens closed off from the dry air in the fridge can make them last for longer than a week.
PRESERVATION: To extend the harvest, cut and freeze.
RECIPES:
Simple Spring Stir Fry Recipe
1-2 onions (cut into 1/2 inch strips)
1 bunch Japanese Salad Turnips (root and stem trimmed, cut into 1/4 inch rounds")
2-3 heads Bok Choy (cut leaves and ribs into 1/4 inch strips)
3-4 leaves of Kale (chopped roughly and de-stemmed is desired
3 C cooked rice (any type)
2 T coconut oil or any oil of your choice
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp salt - more to taste
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 C soy sauce or tamari
Pickled Radishes as garnish
Cook 2-3 cups of your choice of rice. Meanwhile, oil a skillet and heat on medium. Add onions and salt to skillet and sauté for about 3 mins. Add turnips and sauté until just softened. Then add bok choy, coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, and turn heat to high. There should be enough liquid to boil, and you just want to cook it long enough to reduce the liquid to a creamy sauce. Give it a taste and add more salt if you need. Add kale at the very end just to wilt it. Serve veggies and sauce over a bed a rice and add a healthy pile of pickled radishes for some zing.
Roasted Choy
Bok Choy (cut in half, as pictured)
3-4 T olive oil
2-3 T honey (processed honey will be easier to drizzle, but raw honey will work, too)
Red pepper chile flakes (optional)
1-2 T Salt
Preheat oven to 425° F. Cut bok choy in half and lay on pan as pictured. Drizzle olive oil and honey over the bok choy, making sure to get in between the ribs (use your fingers!) Sprinkle with salt (salting helps to soften the crisp ribs of the choy) and red pepper flakes. Roast on middle rack for 10-12 minutes, or until the leaves start to crisp, but make sure they don’t burn! We often put this over a bed of rice or udon noodles, and top with the mustard and cilantro sauce.
Delicata Coconut Broth
2 heads bok choy (ribs cut into 1/2 in strips, reserve greens)
1 delicata squash (peeled, cut in half lengthwise, deseeded, and cut into 1/2 in half moons)
3-4 tomatoes (diced)
2 small or 1 large yellow onion (diced)
4-5 cloves garlic (minced)
4 c water
1 15 oz can coconut milk
1/4 t turmeric
1/2 t cumin
salt to taste
In a saucepan, heat oil on medium. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Stir, cover, and let cook for a couple minutes. Add garlic and cover. When onions start to become fragrant, add squash. Cover again, and let cook for a few minutes, making sure nothing burns to the bottom of the pan. Add water, tomatoes, turmeric, and cumin. Bring to a boil and them turn down to a simmer. Taste a piece of squash and if it has begun to soften, add bok choy ribs and coconut milk. If you want it to have more volume, add more water. Cook uncovered until the squash is a pleasant texture. Salt to taste and feel free to add more spices, if desired. Serve in a bowl over a bed of rice and garnish with bok choy leaves cut into ribbons and soy sauce.