time has come for the veggies to start emerging! We have greens and spinach and garlic scallions and rhubarb and a pak choi kind of cabbage and first flowers!
Please bring your own bags to transport veggies home so we can use the box with your name on next week. Pick up at the Canton Market noon to 2pm.
The crops are coming on. Potatoes are 4'high, we trellised the peas which were set back due to the pea family of wood chucks, but are growing well now. They are not quiet flowering, so a few weeks away from harvesting. Carrots are doing really well this year. We are busy getting the last transplants, hot peppers and second broccoli and cabbages planted The rain brought the weeds on and we will be weeding today in the rain to keep up.
The other exciting news is that Goldie Locks cow is due this Saturday and we are awaiting the new calf and milk for us to come. We will keep you posted. She is very big and slowing down a bit. They enjoy their time outside in the pasture and periodically come around to say hi and look for pets and treats. I need to muck out the barn and put good bedding in this week.
I hope you are having a good summer and your gardens made it through all the frosts. I hear there was one June 4th. We have some extra pepper and tomato plants if you need. They are our extras and not the biggest but better than nothing.
There are various ways to cook bok choy such as steaming, braising (like with clay pots) and simmering. However, these can easily overcook the stems and create a mushy consistency. It’s important to stop cooking when the stalks are just tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the method and size of the vegetable.
I prefer the dry-heat methods like stir-frying and sauteing as they create the best contrast of texture while the browning process adds a new dimension of flavor. This allows bok choy to truly shine. Whole pieces of baby bok choy or halves cook in about 5 to 7 minutes. Smaller chopped pieces used in a stir fry can take 2 to 3 minutes to tenderize.
Stir-fry to maximize the flavor
To really get some good browning and flavor development I prefer to stir-fry baby bok choy. You can use a large wok or nonstick skillet to brown and tenderize the greens. Cut the vegetables down the center to create two halves, this gives a more stunning presentation and keeps the structure intact after cooking.
Cook the cut sections for a few minutes in hot oil in a large skillet without moving, this deepens the color on the surface. Once the color appears, flip over and cook the other side. The greens can now be stir-fried with a sauce to infuse more flavor.
Flavor boosters
Adding in aromatics and sauces creates layers of flavor. Fresh ginger, minced garlic, and sliced green onions provide instant pungency and earthiness. Cook these in vegetable oil until fragrant as they are very delicate. You want to make sure the garlic does not burn.
To further enhance the flavor a sauce is added at the very end of cooking. It’s a combination of soy sauce, vegetable broth, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and chili flakes. When stir-fried with seared bok choy it creates delicious glazed halves.
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 pound baby bok choy
- ▢ 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
- ▢ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ▢ 1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
- ▢ 1 teaspoon honey
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ▢ 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ▢ ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds
- Rinse the bok choy with water. Shaking off any excess water and then dry using a kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Cut each bok choy, halved lengthwise.
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, broth, vinegar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, honey, and red chili flakes.
- In a wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil over high heat until just smoking.
- Use tongs to carefully place the bok choy cut side down in a single layer in the wok, lightly press down to make contact with the surface.
- Cook until lightly browned without moving, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Flip the bok choy over and cook the other side until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok. Add garlic, ginger and green onions, stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, simmer until thickened, about 30 seconds.
- Add bok choy back to the wok, stir-fry and cook until the sauce glazes the greens, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a platter and garnish with sesame seeds.
All the best, Dulli