Bok choy is a Chinese vegetable related to the turnip and the cabbage. The most familiar variety has a smooth white stalk and spreading dark green leaves. It's very common in many Chinese dishes, and it's also the main vegetable used in Korean kimchi.
If you find some bok choy in your CSA box this week, wash it well, separating the stalks to get any sand off of them. Then pat dry and refrigerate until you use it. Use quickly - this delicate vegetable doesn't hold up well to long storage. Here's a few recipes we'd like to try...
Here's a garlicky way to cook bok choy, with fried shallots. We love dumplings, so these Green Dumplings with bok choy in the filling sound great too. You can actually deep fry bok choy too, until it's crispy.
Of course, you can just sauté it too, putting the stalks in a little before the leaves to give them a longer time to cook. Cook the stalks for about 6 minutes and then put the leaves in about halfway through and cook for the remaining three minutes, until wilted. They are great cooked in a little sesame or chili oil.
What do you like to with bok choy?
(Image credit: Melissa's)
I'm not sure I've ever seen kimchi made of bok choy, though I'm sure it's possible. Most kimchi is made of nappa cabbage.
And simply for the trivia: bok means white, while choy is a generic term for a leafy vegetable.
view Michelle of Montreal's profile
The standard variety of kimchi is actually made from napa cabbage, not bok choy.
view chiffonade's profile