Our first CSA box contained one of my favorite ingredients: bok choy.
A member of the cabbage family, bok choy originates from China but is now commonly grown all over the United States. You’ve probably eaten it in stir fries and soups, where it acts as the supporting character to lots of other ingredients. And although it’s delicious in these dishes, sometimes bok choy deserves the spotlight.
Bok choy leaves have just a slightly sweet flavor while the white stems are crisp and juicy. The vegetable needs little work—a few minutes in a wok to turn the leaves a vibrant green and soften the stems just slightly does the trick.
To complement the crispy texture of the bok choy, I tossed in some shiitake mushrooms, because what goes better with delicious Asian cabbage than delicious Asian fungi? The skiitakes add a meatier, more earthy flavor to the dish, and also make it more filling. Something tells me that I could fry an egg on top and eat this whole wok-full of vegetables in one sitting and call it a meal.
But this time around, I resisted. Instead, I finished the bok choy and mushrooms off with a soy sauce/vinegar combo and served it on the side of some Panko crusted fish.
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cut in ½
- 1½ pound bok choy (about 3 heads), coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- handful sesame seeds
- Salt to taste
- Heat canola oil over medium heat in a large wok. Add garlic and ginger and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in mushrooms and cook until they soften. Add bok choy and cook until leaves just barely start to wilt and stems become slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Pour into wok once bok choy has softened and stir to coat. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds, taste and adjust seasoning.
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