Bok choy (pictured), mei qing choy and other Asian greens are delicious sauteed or added salads. Photo by Jennifer Baldwin

By Michelle Beck

The tomato plants are (almost) here! I was happy to get a call the other day from Louise, who sells vegetable plants at the Farmers’ Market. She told me that she plans to have her first batch of plants available starting Saturday, Feb. 13. I’ve noticed some tomato plants at the big home improvement stores, but I encourage you to check out Louise’s plants. She has a huge variety of tomatoes, from heirlooms to hybrids, and I have had nothing but good luck with them. As the weather warms, she’ll have peppers, melon, eggplant and many other great choices for your vegetable garden.

Citrus Tasting

If you are thinking of planting a citrus tree, White Forest Nursery will have its first citrus tasting of the year on Saturday, Feb. 13. I have attended the citrus tastings before, and the growers bring many different varieties for people to taste, which is a lot of fun.

Asia Market

I dropped by the Asia Market the other day to pick up some chili sauce and, as usual, ended up buying many items I did not plan to buy. The Asia Market is located near White Lane and Gosford Road. It’s next to the Body Exchange, on McNair Lane, which is a small street just south of White Lane.

The Asia Market has food from many different Asian cultures, such as Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean and Thai, and the prices tend to be very reasonable. They have a large selection of dried mushrooms, Asian seasonings and sauces. The better part of one aisle is taken up with chili sauces alone. Shoppers can find several brands of rice noodles and soba noodles. Boxes of different ramen noodle packages line one wall.  Many different varieties of cookies, crackers and chips are available, including my favorite shrimp chips. A package of spicy shrimp chips caught my eye, but my hands were already full, so I resisted temptation. I usually buy my rice flour here because it is finely ground and not gritty. Also, the potato and tapioca starches used in gluten-free baking are less expensive at Asia Market than at other stores.

Many American companies make products for other countries that are not usually available here, so it is fun to see unfamiliar flavors of Dole juice like lychee.

The market has a couple of aisles filled with utensils, from bamboo steamers to rice cookers. The freezer case is filled with prepared foods that would be nice for a party. The store is very crowded, so it can take a while to see everything for sale.

Asian greens

Asian greens, such as bok choy and mei qing choy, are delicious sauteed or added to salads. At the Farmers’ Market, one vendor has a table with many kinds of Asian vegetables. They are very nice people, and will explain what the different veggies are.

Here is a recipe for a delicious bok choy salad.

Full Belly Farm, located northwest of Sacramento, shared the following recipe with their CSA (community supported agriculture) members:

Greens, Leeks, Garlic and Pine Nuts

Serves four

1 bunch bok choy, mei qing choy or other greens

2 medium leeks, washed carefully, white and light green parts thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted in a skillet

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bok choy and mei quing choy are wonderful in sauté because the greens will cook up soft and tender, but the stems will stay crispy and sweet. Slice the bottom (root end) off of the choy so that the leaves separate. Wash the leaves. Slice the choy leaves and stems into 1-inch strips. Those stems are sweet! Taste them raw.

If you are using a bunch of greens, strip the leaves from the stems and cook the stems for a bit longer than the greens.

Using a large skillet with a cover, heat the olive oil and sauté the leeks and garlic until crisp/tender. Add the greens and cook until almost done. Add the stems. Cover and simmer for a few more minutes. The water on the leaves should be enough to keep the veggies from drying out. If not, add a bit of water or other seasoning like mild vinegar, cooking sake or mirin. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the dish after it is completed.

Beet Greens

Since none of you gave me reason to eat my beet or turnip greens as challenged in a past column, I was glad to see Martha Stewart address the issue. As I suspected, bacon makes everything better. Here is Martha Stewart’s recipe for beet greens with bacon.