I Learned to Cook Greens this Summer

We are now in our fourth week of CSA boxes from Lee Farms in Truxton, MO. The greens – turnip, collard, Napa cabbage, Swiss chard, and bok choy – have been a fun challenge, and we’ve gotten quite creative and adventurous in trying a few new dishes. We made a tasty (okay, and unique!) turnip green tart with gruyere; (homemade) BBQ baked beans with sausage and collard greens; Thai grilled chicken and broccoli (also from our CSA box) on Napa cabbage; and salmon bulgogi with boy choy and mushrooms.

Turnip Greens Tart

(oops, I forgot to take the photo before we ate some)

The lettuces I planted in the garden also did extremely well this spring/summer, and I'm compelled to show off our bounty. We sure have been getting our recommended daily serving of veggies this summer.

Salmon  Bulgogi with Boy choy and Veggies
Bulgogi is a Korean dish typically made with beef, but I picked up some beautiful wild Alaska salmon and based this on a recipe I found on Epicurious. It is healthy, easy, quick, and very flavorful – salty, sweet, and spicy. What more could you ask for?

4 large garlic cloves, peeled, divided
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
3T dry Sherry
2 - 3/4-inch cube peeled fresh ginger
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 1/2 t chili-garlic sauce
4 6-oz.skinless salmon fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, julienned
1 large bok choy, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 7 cups)
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced

Blend 2 garlic cloves and next 7 ingredients in mini processor. Arrange salmon in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon marinade over. Let marinate at least 30 minutes.

Slice vegetables as once you begin stir-frying them, the meal comes together quickly.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Drain marinade into a small bowl and reserve. Roast fish until just opaque in center, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add onion, red pepper; using a garlic press, press in 1 garlic clove, stir-frying constantly for about 2 minutes. Add bok choy and mushrooms and reserved marinade. Stir-fry until onions, pepper, mushrooms are tender and bok choy is wilted, about another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide vegetables among plates. Top with salmon.