Have you ever tried Bok Choy? Bok Choy is available during the winter season, February through April. Bok Choy is part of the cabbage family. The leaves look very similar to cabbage or Romain lettuce but are thicker. Bok Choy leaves are crunchy and offer a mild, pleasant taste. Bok Choy can be eaten raw, steamed, or fried. You can use it in many Asian dishes like soups, salads, stir-frys and fillings for spring rolls, potstickers, and dumplings. Bok Choy can be used in many recipes. One of my favorite recipes to use Bok Choy in is this quick and easy salad.

For The Salad:

2 large heads of fresh Bok Choy

1 bundle of green onions/chives chopped

2 packs of ramen noodles with seasoning packets 1⁄4 cup of butter

2 TBSP sugar

1⁄2 cup of sesame seeds

3 ounces of shaved almonds

1 TBSP of soy sauce

For the Dressing:

1⁄2 cup of oil

1⁄2 cup of sugar

1⁄4 cup of red wine vinegar 2 TBSP of soy sauce

Directions:

Dressing:

Combine oil, sugar, red wine vinegar and 2 TBSP of soy sauce in a bowl. Set a side.

Ramen Noodles:

Melt butter in saucepan in low heat and dissolve sugar. Crumble ramen noodles, and add seasoning packet, add sesame seeds, almonds, and soy sauce. Cook until noodles are lightly toasted. Stir to prevent burning, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Mixing the salad:

In a large bowl toss the dressing, ramen mixture, Bok Choy, green onion/ chives.

Next time you stop by the Santa Clarita, Downtown Ventura and Thousand Oaks Certified Farmers Markets, you will find a few farmers that carry fresh local grown Bok Choy like Her Produce, and Yao Cheng Farm. Try Bok Choy in many other recipes, you will love it!