Today started out cool, but fast became warm. Halleujah. I was getting worried about the tomatoes not getting enough heat and sun and that dread black gooey fungus killing them all again. It hit 80something today. Yay.
Lots of traffic; double whammy with Cherry festival and Fourth of July. Lovely lovely weekend.
Maureen and I made Farm Pad Thai--that means with whatever vegetables available plus a pound of shrimp and a pound of squid. Finely sliced baby carrots and baseball-bat zucchini in place of cabbage, and sliced zucchini blossoms in place of mung sprouts. Lots of cilantro.
Unfortunately I was running around so much that I only got one picture today--of a pixie garden sprite (Alison Heins) and a gigantic head of bok choy. Grace Slick said don't eat anything bigger than your head, but we did today. That enormous bok choy served a tableful. I'm exhausted. Luckily Alison and Carol came to help clean up. Another Hallelujah.
So we prepped and prepped and prepped--I even made Thai green curry paste with my That stone mortar and pestle--if you want the recipe email me at nallenchef@aol.com. I sure missed Eli and his attention to detail--he would have pounded that curry paste to a mush. Mine still had texture. Eli got his scuba certification today!! Next week I hope to have a photo of him in headgear.
We fired up two woks and cooked the rice noodles and seasonings in batches. Then finished with the greens. Here's a recipe for Vietnamese stir-fried greens.
Technique: Southeast Asian Stir-Fried Greens
Stir-frying is an ideal way to lock in color, flavor and nutrients of any Asian green vegetable. This is a classic recipe, but do invent your own flavor combinations—keep them simple so they enhance, not overwhelm the green. To subdue the flavor of strong greens, to shorten stir-fry time or to prep them ahead, blanch greens whole (you lose less nutrients), in vigorously boiling salted water. Blanch firm or tough-stalked greens like kale, collards and Chinese broccoli 2 minutes and tender greens like spinach or bok choy 30 seconds to 1 minute. Cool under cold running water and drain. Alternatively, you can chop greens and steam for a similar length of time for a less watery end result. Then they are ready for a quick flavor-inducing stir-fry.
4 to 6 servings
Vietnamese Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Shallots and Shitakes
1 pound baby bok choy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, about 3 tablespoons finely minced
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, washed, stems finely finely sliced, caps cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons water
1 lime, wedged
1. Wash greens in cold water. Make sure to scrub at base where dirt lodges. Discard discolored leaves. Bok choy hides lots of dirt and bugs, so pull off leaves and wash it extra carefully.
2. Prep greens and remaining ingredients. Remove stems on large bok choy and slice; set aside separately. Slice large leaves in half, stack leaves and slice 1/2 to 1-inch wide strips. Slice 4 to 5-inch long bok choy in halves or quarters lengthwise. Leave smaller (2 to 3-inch) bok choy whole. Set up ingredients on tray ready to cook.
3. Heat wok or skillet over high heat and swirl in oil. (For stir-fry info see later posts.) When oil shimmers:
Stir-fry garlic and shallots until colored, 10 seconds and add shiitake. Stir-fry till soft, 1 minute and add bok choy. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes and stir in fish sauce and water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to medium and steam/braise bok choy until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover, test for doneness and cook bok choy further if necessary until moist and tender, but still bright green.
4. Taste greens, and adjust seasoning with salt or fish sauce.
5. Turn greens out onto a platter, piled high, and serve hot or at room temperature. Serve Vietnamese bok choy with lime wedges.
The Short Story
Clean Greens, Prep and assemble Ingredients, Hot Wok, Hot Oil, Stir-Fry Seasonings/Greens, Add Liquid, Steam, Taste and Serve.
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