What's In The Box
Baby Bok Choi: Read more about this week’s featured vegetable on our blog. Enjoy baby bok choi either raw in salads or lightly cooked. Wash it well before use, especially the base where the leaves attach as there may be dirt in the lower ribs.
Asparagus: We are nearly finished with asparagus for the season. We’re hoping for one more week of harvest, but no guarantees. The lower portion of the stems can be tough and “woody,” but this part still has flavor! Save these pieces to make vegetable broth!
Rhubarb: Pies, cakes, cookies, and desserts are the typical “go-to” for rhubarb. But don’t forget rhubarb is a vegetable and may also be used in soups and stews, chutney and sauces. Plus, rhubarb may be cooked down and incorporated into a variety of beverages!
Salad Mix AND Baby Arugula OR Baby Spinach: All of these delicate baby greens have had a bit of stress given the amount of rain they’ve experienced over the past two weeks. As such, the shelf life on these items may not be as long as usual. We encourage you to keep these bags in the refrigerator as the cold will prolong their life. However, it may be best to prioritize using these items within a few days of receiving for optimal outcomes.
Hon Tsai Tai: We are harvesting our second and final crop. This week’s bunches are a little younger than what we were harvesting last week thus the stems should be more tender. You may eat this green raw or cooked and it may be used interchangeably with bok choi or other cooking greens in many recipes. Don’t forget to eat the flowers too!
Baby White Salad Turnips: These tender, sweet turnips do not need to be peeled and require minimal cooking time. The greens are also edible, so don’t throw them away! Rinse them well, pat dry, then rough chop them and add them to pasta dishes or soup.
Pea Vine: Pea vine is a pea plant that is harvested while young and before it starts to blossom. The leaves and tender stems may be used in salads, sauteed or stir-fried, incorporated into soup, or blended into cream cheese or pesto. Sometimes the lower to middle part of the stem can become tough. If you find this to be true, remove the tender leaves and use the stem to flavor soups, stews, and broth.
Cilantro: This is the first of our spring-planted cilantro. Cilantro is not only flavorful, but it also serves as a powerful detoxifier for the body. Enjoy it in salads, blend into smoothies and juices, turn it into a dressing, or use it as a garnish for curries and dishes from other cultures.
Garlic Scapes: Scapes grow out of the top of a hard neck garlic plant as nature’s way of propagating a new plant. We remove them to encourage the plant to shunt its energy into making a bulb of garlic. You’ll find Scapes to be nearly entirely usable, up to the bulbil on the end which can be tough. They may be eaten raw, sautéed, grilled, roasted, or stir-fried.
Mini Bibb Head Lettuce: These little heads of lettuce have endured several inches of rainfall over the past few weeks; thus, they are more delicate and should be used sooner than later. You may notice some rust-colored blemishes on the bottom of the head. Just trim off this portion and use the rest. Wash the leaves well in a sink of cold water. Pat or spin off excess water before using.
CHOICE: Herb Packs—This week we have sent one herb pack per vegetable share. See below for more information!
Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents
Bok Choi Salad with Sesame-Almond Crunch
Tortellini Pasta with Asparagus, Spinach & Ham
Canal House Shaved Asparagus-Arugula Salad
Chana Saag (Chickpeas & Spinach Cooked with Warm Spices
Citrus Cilantro Smoothie with Spinach
Hon Tsai Tai & Shiitake Potstickers
Stir Fried Garlic Scapes with Eggs
Vegetable Feature: Baby Bok Choi
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| Bok Choi in the Field |
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| Freshly Washed Bok Choi |
Herb Pack Information
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Oregano
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German Winter Thyme
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| Italian Basil |
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| Italian Parsley |
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| Curly Parsley |
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| Summer Savory |
Grilled Bok Choi with Peanut Sauce
Yield: 3-4 servings
- Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill until smoking. (Alternatively, you can use a large cast iron frying pan)
- Meanwhile, soak the bok choi in a big bowl of water, agitating to help dislodge any grit, paying particular attention to the outer layers. Run under cold water, using your thumbs to push the leaves apart for one more gander, but try to leave the stems attached to the base if possible. If you can’t remove all the dirt in this way, it’s ok to take the outer leaves off and just grill them individually. Cut each head of bok choi into halves or quarters, allowing the base to hold all of the stems together.
- Once the pan or grill is hot, shake excess water off the bok choi and press each piece face down into the pan. Leave over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, then flip face-side-up for another 3 minutes or so, until the stalks are mildly translucent.
- Meanwhile, combine the stock/water, peanut butter, oyster sauce, soy sauce and vinegar in a saucepan and mix to combine. If you are using dried red chili flakes, add them to the sauce now. If you are using fresh chilis, you may wish to add them as a garnish just before serving. Place the sauce mixture over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring, and adding more stock of the sauce needs to be thinned slightly. Season with salt and black pepper to your liking.
- If using raw peanuts, toast these in a pan until golden, then roughly chop.
- Arrange the bok choi across a platter. Pour over plenty of the sauce, then garnish with the peanuts, and seasonal garnishes as desired.
- Serve as a side dish all on its own, or pair it with steamed rice or noodles and a protein of your choosing (e.g., grilled steak or chicken, tofu) to make a complete meal. Give it a squeeze of fresh lime just before serving if desired.
NOTE: If you
do not have Oyster Sauce, you may substitute it with fish sauce, hoisin sauce
or just add additional soy sauce.
Recipe borrowed and adapted from In Praise of Veg: The Ultimate Cookbook for Vegetable Lovers by Alice Zaslavsky.
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