Asian Noodle Bowl with Bok Choy, Bacon, and Scapes

A chance of pace from stir fries, and easy to assemble. Some shiitake mushrooms would not go amiss here, but I didn't happen to have any when I made this.

1 lb linguine or spaghetti (or Asian noodles if you have them)
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 lb bacon, diced
3-4 Tbsp minced ginger root
1-1 1/2 cups chopped garlic scapes
1 lb bok choy, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
Asian hot sauce (optional)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain, toss with the sesame oil, and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet or wok until chewy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour off most of the bacon fat, leaving 1-2 Tbsp.

Add the ginger and scapes to the skillet or wok and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and stir fry until tender. Stir in the soy sauce and mix well to coat.

Assemble each bowl by placing a serving of noodles in the bottom, then adding the bok choy mixture and the bacon on top. Serve with additional soy sauce or hot sauce if desired.

Serves 4-5.

Requested: Greens

Thanks, requesters - keep 'em coming! This is fun.

I actually don't tend to cook a lot of greens during the height of summer because there are so many other tasty summer crops available right now that have a much shorter season. Local greens are available nearly year round at this point, so I tend to cook them more often in the spring and fall, and winter when I can get them. What that means if you're looking for recipes is that you should try the search box at the top left corner of the page, or cruise through the archive listings. You can also try clicking on the tags (Blogger calls them labels) below each post: clicking a tag will bring up all posts that have that tag attached to it. For this one, I've tagged greens, chard, kale, spinach, arugula, bok choy, and sorrel.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Red Peppers and Steak

Leftover steak makes really good stir-fries, especially if already seasoned with an Asian theme. I harvested a bunch of bok choy from my garden that was already going to seed in the hot weather, and added a couple red peppers from the freezer (still using those up!) along with scallions and spring garlic from the farmers market. Serve this over rice.

If you don't have leftover steak, you can either quickly grill one or slice the meat then and stir fry it, then set aside while you cook the rest of the ingredients.

Canola oil
3-4 stalks green garlic, finely chopped
2 red peppers, chopped (frozen is fine)
1/2 lb bok choy
2 cups chopped scallions
3/4 lb thinly sliced cooked steak
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
Chili paste to taste (optional)

Heat the oil in a wok or very large skillet. Add the garlic and peppers and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes or so. Add the bok choy (in batches if necessary) and scallions and stir-fry until the bok choy is wilted.

While you do this, stir together the corn start, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Add this along with the steak and cook, stirring, just until the sauce thickens. Stir in chili paste to taste, if using. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Spicy Tofu Hotpot

This is another great way to use local garlic, bok choy, and shiitake mushrooms. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, and it is a favorite in our house.

Spicy Tofu Hotpot, all jarred up for a soup swap with friends

1-2 Tbsp sesame oil
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
10-12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
6-8 cups water
2 veggie bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ - 1/3 cup soy sauce
½ - 1 tsp chili paste (optional)
1 medium bunch bok choy, coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cubed
4 ounces angel hair, broken in 2-inch lengths

Heat the sesame oil in a large soup pot. Sauté the garlic and ginger over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. They will absorb all the oil.

Add 6 cups of water and the bouillon cubes to the pot. Stir in the brown sugar, soy sauce, and chili paste. Cover and bring to a boil.

When the water is boiling, add the bok choy and tofu to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer until the bok choy is tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the angel hair and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

If needed, add additional water and adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

Serves 4-5.

Bok Choy and Shiitake Stir-Fry

The shiitakes from New England Wild Edibles were excellent--silky and flavorful when cooked. I combined them with chicken and baby bok choy from my garden for a delicious stir-fry last night. I think the chicken worked particularly well with the greens and mushrooms, but you could also certain use tofu, tempeh, or another protein of your choice. Or, I suppose, just do the bok choy and shiitakes as a side dish. Serve this over rice.

2 Tbsp sesame oil
1-1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp minced ginger
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
6-8 cups bok choy or baby bok choy, roughly chopped
1/4 - 1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1-2 tsp Asian chili paste or sauce (optional)
Thickener: 2 tsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the chicken and stir-fry over high heat until cooked through. Set the chicken and its juices aside in a bowl.

Add a little canola or more sesame oil to the pan and add the garlic, ginger, and shiitakes. Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are tender. Add the bok choy and cook until it starts to wilt. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili paste (if using) and continue to cook until the bok choy is fully wilted. Stir in the thickener and cook for another moment or two, until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat.

Serve over rice.

Serves 3-4.

Freezing Greens

By the way, if you want to freeze greens like bok choy, the best way to do it is to stir fry first, then pack into freezer bags. The end result will have better texture and flavor, as well as more nutrients, than if you try to blanch them.

Bok Choy and Chicken Stir Fry

As I anticipated, the weekend's frost finally did in the last of the tender vegetables. But the greens are still flourishing--kale, chard, mizuna, and baby bok choy. Last night I picked a bunch of the latter and made a tasty stir fry. If you use regular bok choy, chop it roughly. If you use baby bok choy like I did, you can leave the leaves whole, which is nice aesthetically. Serve this over rice.

1 Tbsp sesame oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp minced or grated ginger
1 or more hot peppers, seeded and minced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 large head bok choy, or several heads of baby bok choy
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp corn starch, plus enough soy sauce to make a thin paste

Heat the oil in a wok or very large skillet. Add the garlic, onion, and ginger and cook for 1 minute or so. Add the chicken and stir fry until cooked through. Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and vinegar and cook until the bok choy is wilted. Stir in the corn starch mix and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 3-4.

Variation: Substitute tofu or tempeh for the chicken. If using tofu, steam or fry it first--or marinate in soy sauce and broil for a few minutes.