Ali’s pick o’ the web: bok choy, unusual greens, and radishes

I received this email from Crystal:

I need your help. We’ve started getting our weekly (CSA) vegetable shares and I don’t know what to do with some of this stuff. Do you have any suggestions for bok choy, yukina, or mizuna? How about something exciting with radishes? I love cooking and creating new dishes, but these massive bags of greens are stumping me a bit.

Ah, yes. I know that feeling, the one of staring down heaps of green. ‘Tis not a task for the faint of heart. Let’s all come together in a collective huzzah for Crystal as she embarks on this task, shall we? One, two…

Huzzah!

Sorry; I didn’t wait for three. I was kind of excited about the whole thing.

My own CSA also grows bok choy, yukina, and mizuna. I, too, once found myself stumped by these babies. That is, until I learned that in addition to being wildly healthful, they are also wildly versatile. All can be eaten in salads, steamed, sauteed, stir-fried, or cooked in sauces or soups. In other words, you can’t go wrong with them. The’re fool-proof! Failsafe! Serve ‘em hot, serve ‘em cold! Serve ‘em raw, serve ‘em stewed! There’s no wrong answer! That’s my kinda’ vegetable.

My standard for all of these has been to a quick sautee or stir-fry, generally prepared one of two ways: either sauteed with garlic, olive oil, a touch of kosher sea salt, and a sprinkling of lemon or vinegar; or stir-fried with an Asian flair (garlic, ginger, sesame oil, tamari, rice vinegar, and a touch of something sweet; I don’t measure, but I’ll figure out exact proportions if you like).

However, I, too, am ready for a little change.  I now present a kind of Recipe Roundup, Ali’s pick o’ the web for less familiar greens.

Bok Choy

Personally, I love bok choy (an Asian cabbage, slightly spicy), because it feels like two veggies in one – the stalks stay firm and crunchy even when cooked, and the leaves wilt like spinach or chard. It works beautifully with ginger and garlic. Here are some other not-too-complicated ways to prepare it:

Elise’s Baby Bok Choy with Cashews. Haven’t made this exactly, though I’ve done similar meals. And trust me: you’ll never, ever go wrong with Elise.

Alanna’s bok choy salad with creamy vinaigrette. Alanna’s also a kitchen whiz; Alanna, honey, I’d love to cook together someday.

Or, if you’re looking for something really different, try bok choy in coconut milk.

Mizuna/Yukina

Mizuna is a Japanese mustard green, which you can often find in mesclun. It’s extremely cold-tolerant, so you’ll see it at plenty of farmers’ markets in northern climates. It has feathery green leaves, and has a mustardy tang. Yukina (also known as yukina savoy), is less well known, but is a variety of loose, delicate cabbage leaves. You don’t see many recipes for yukina, but fortunately, you can use yukina in all of the below recipes (and, frankly, in any recipe that calls for spinach, or chard, or other similar greens).

Calendula and concrete learned a little bit more about mizuna after accidentally growing it; she shares some nice links to recipes. I’d also point Crystal to wok-sauteed mizuna and chicken, via Whole Foods. Nah, better yet, try Nook and Pantry’s easier, pared-down version.

Many mizuna recipes are Asian in origin. But hey! We’re in a global village here! The world is flat, so let’s break out of Asia! Check out the Nourished Kitchen’s mixed potato salad with mizuna and sundried tomatoes (don’t worry; you don’t actually have to use homemade mayo).

Or, if you’re feelin’ eclectic, try mizuna and plum salad with parmesan, from the Kitchen restaurant in Boulder, Colorado. Yum.

Radishes

As for radishes. We all know them as plate garnishes, salad toppings, and the spicy healthful snack that our grandmother sonce served to us and which we never really enjoyed all that much. It’s time to take a new look at these veggies. They’re packed with vitamin C, they’re a powerful antioxidant, they’re chock full o’ minerals, and they’re a great source of folic acid, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber.

Not a fan of radishes peppery kick? Then try cooking them. Wait, you can cook radishes? Oh, heck yes! In fact, cooking mellows their flavor. Try them grilled, steamed, or sauteed in butter.

And don’t forget those radish greens! Yes, the radish greens are plenty edible. (Note: the greens will dry out long before the globes, so you’ll want to use these earlier in the week). Try some radish leaf and potato soup. Or mix those greens into gingery meatballs. Mmm.

Crystal, let me know if you try any of them, and how they work for you.

In the meantime, I’m working on a great recipe for escarole soup. More later, friends.