Baby Bok Choy

Bok choy is a traditional stir-fry vegetable from China. Choy grows in elongated, upright heads of dark green leaves with large, green-white stems. Since the texture of the leaves differs from that of the stems, choy is practically two veggies in one. The leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach, while the crisp stems can be used like celery or asparagus. This is a cool-season crop (i.e., it likes fall-spring, not summer).

To store: Keep bok choy in a plastic bag and place in the crisper of your fridge. Store for up to a week before the leaves begin to wilt.

To Prep: Rinse choy under cold running water and shake it dry. Because the thick stems and tender leaves will require different cooking times and will usually be added separately, cut the stems from the leaves. Cut the stems into 1 inch pieces and slice, shred, or tear the leaves.

To use: For stir-fry, separate leaves from the thick white stem and chop both into 2-inch wide diagonal chunks. Put the stems in first near the end of cooking, then add the leaves for the last 2 minutes.

Bok choy can also be simply steamed. Then toss with toasted sesame oil, butter, salt, or vinaigrette. A small choy is mild enough to eat raw. The stems resemble celery without the strings. Include small choy leaves as a tasty addition to a raw veggie platter. Add the small uncooked, shredded leaves of a small choy to salads.

To freeze: Cut the stems from the leaves and chop to desired size. Store those separately. Cut the leaves into ribbons or squares or keep whole. Store separately from stems. Bring salted pot of water to a boil. Boil the leaves in boiling pot of water for 90 seconds. Douse in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain the leaves and squeeze out moisture. Place in Ziploc freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. Put in freezer. Blanch the stems separately for 2 minutes. Douse in ice water and drain before packing into separate Ziploc.