Bok choy makes cool noises

Seriously. I made the second dish from my first farm share today; this time using the bok choy and Zephyr squash. Bok choy sounds cool. When you snap it from the base or whatever you call it, it makes a cracking/ snapping noise. When you rinse it or pull the leaves apart, it squeaks. When you slice it, there is a neat crunch and slice sound (this sound evokes the word “crisp” in my brain). And when it’s cooking in the pan, it makes sizzling/ bubbling/ popping noises. Food isn’t just about what you can taste and smell and see. It’s also about how food feels and, when you are cooking, sometimes sounds.

So yeah, bok choy sounds neat.

Like with the Daikon radish, bok choy is a food I’d never prepared before, but it turned out pretty ok. It’s a type of cabbage, and I love me some cabbage.

Stir-fried bok choy with Zephyr squash

Just look at these bright leaves! I used a whole head of the Chinese cabbage, tearing the leaves from the base and then rinsing them.

As it turns out, vegetables fresh from the farm are dirty. In the case of things with lots of crevices, you should probably rinse the leaves after you tear them off. I missed a little soil here and there.

When stir-frying bok choy, cook the stems a little longer than the rest, because they are a little tougher. I cut my cabbage into chunks and tossed the thicker ends in with a little vegetable oil (any neutral oil will do) over medium-high heat.

Cook the stems for about 3 minutes until they become a little softer. Then add the leaves and about a half a cup of water. You can eyeball this. You want enough to simmer the cabbage, but not so much that it’s still soaking when you are done. Leave the cabbage simmering in the water for about 8-10 minutes, until the stems and leaves have wilted and the water has evaporated. I cut up some of the Zephyr squash and added it in this step. Feel free to add some other vegetable with a smallish cooking time.

Used a little too much water, which i then had to pour down the sink. The bok choy should be wilted and tender, but not brown or super-soggy.

After draining the water, I finished with some kosher salt, soy sauce, a squirt of lemon juice, and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Unfortunately, this dish has no corroborating witnesses. I forgot that Justin doesn’t like sesame, so he wouldn’t try it. But I’m declaring this one a success. If I get more bok choy in Thursday’s farm share, I’ll likely make this again.