damn, check out the bok choy..

I was through (manhattan's) Chinatown today-- yes, i had to make the distinction since i now teach in flushing, queens-- nyc's other-- twice a week. i actually haven't been to manhattan's in while. I wanted to check out what produce was on the market. Really, i was looking for tomatoes. I bought them on mott st. [N of canal] the last few times-- edible and cheaper than anywhere else, on the vine, $1.00-1.20/lb. Instead, the vender i typically buy veg from had this gorgeous bok choy. Bok choy, actually, seemed to be the popular crop of the day, and in all sizes-- baby, small, medium, large. I opted of the baby because i just couldn't resist.. Take a look: could you?..


About bok choy: As i mentioned, bok choy comes in all different sizes. I tend to like the baby version of most chinese veg because, despite being a little bit pricier, they're usually sweeter and more tender, like most babies are..

I don't think i've ever seen bok choy actually growing in nature but i imagine it sprouts very close to wet, muddy grounds. Bok choy can be pretty sandy. You have to make sure to wash it thoroughly if you want to avoid that unexpected grainy crunch. This bok choy i bought didn't look too sandy, which is why i was willing to get it. Otherwise i could be quite turned off, thinking about how much work i would have to put in to clean it.

Here's what i did: i pulled most of the outer leaves off. If the core [my favorite, sweetest part] is somewhat thick i cut it, lengthwise, in half. Those [halved] pieces are good for caramelization because their 'innards', containing sugars, are directly exposed. i then washed them in cold water-- fill bowl with more than plenty of water to cover, swish around with hand in efforts to release dirt and transfer to colander. i ['only'] had to do this three times, which is good for bok choy. ..Five or six times or more can sometimes be necessary, no crying joke. Then i spun it dry-- i did this all in my greens washer. You want it dry to maximize caramelization, aka. flavor.

How i cooked it: heat a little oil in a pan til hot [pretty hot, or as hot as i was patient to wait for and that my 'nonstick' pan could handle]. Oil is not an option. Bok choy has a decent amount of water in it. You won't get good [or any] caramelization otherwise because the water that releases during cooking will prevent it. Plus, bok choy is pretty light, you need to savorize it a little. I then threw the bok choy in roughly a single layer in the pan, making sure the exposed halves had priority contact with the pan's surface. I let it cook for a few minutes as i, last minute, peeled and cut some carrots to go with. This is good too because some of the leaves' moisture can dry off in the meantime. Then i just threw the carrots atop and then a lid. The lid could completely cover the veg or could expose a little crack for some steam to escape. What you basically want is to sear it and steam it at the same time-- sear for flavor, steam for softness.

I was going to eat this with some tofu [as i'm in a little tofu phase at the moment.. and this is quite the appropriate match]. Usually i heat the tofu in it's own pan, but the pan i was using was the pan i typically cook my tofu in. So instead of using another, and having to wash another, i pushed the bok choy/carrot mix to the edges of the pan when nearly done and laid the tofu slabs in the middle to heat. Drizzled some soy sauce atop for some flava. And voila. A one-pot[/pan] meal. Easy peasy lemon squeezy-- no lemon, really though involved.