Bok Choy from Simmons Farm

Photo and text by KARA DiCAMILLO/ecoRI News contributor


I’ve found that having a community-supported agriculture (CSA) share means that, in some instances, I need to be creative. With my weekly pickup over the years, I’ve eaten vegetables that I never thought of eating before. If you’re like me, you’re probably looking for delicious alternatives to cooking your weekly crop or maybe even trying new recipes that you haven’t thought of before.

In the past few weeks, I’ve received a lot of bok choy from Simmons Farm in Middletown and, admittedly, it’s been building in my refrigerator because I didn’t know what to do with it besides adding it to soup.

Bok choy is a Chinese cabbage and it is good for you, as it contains a high amount of vitamin A and vitamin C. It also contains glucosinolates, which have been known to prevent cancer. Needless to say, I knew I had to find another way to start cooking it.

Grilling bok choy is one of the easiest ways to add it to your dinner menu, and I was surprised by how much flavor it had. This recipe really can’t get much easier.

Grilled bok choy
Serves 2-4

3 heads of bok choy
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Turn your grill on high and cover it with the lid to heat. Split the bok choy in half lengthwise and turn them face up on a cutting board. Drizzle each evenly with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Prior to grilling, turn the heat down to medium. Place the halves of bok choy face down on the grill.

The flames will flare a bit from the oil, but not to worry, the leaves should be charred just a bit. Grill the bok choy for about 3-4 minutes, or until the leaves are bright green and wilted. Serve immediately, and enjoy your new side dish.

Comments

[Dan]

Bok Choy is easy to grow if you have a garden or space for containers. Plant it early (like now, but cover it if we get more frost) and harvest before the cabbage moths (white butterflies) come around to lay eggs on it.