We get a lot of bok choy in our CSA box. We get regular bok choy, baby bok choy…we sometimes get more bok choy than I know what to do with. I like bok choy but it’s not my favorite of the greens. It’s tasty but I like a bit of the bitterness you get with kale, chard, spinach or others. But when I saw bok choy blossoms at the farmers’ market, I had to try them. My husband’s comment was: “I wonder if people actually eat that or if the farm just had some leftover leaves and figured they could fool some yuppies.” Fair enough–it would probably work. It did on me–but I am sucker for greens. Anyway, it is in fact legitimate but that’s besides the point. Bok choy blossoms are really good! Tender with a good bite (they don’t get slimy with a quick stir-fry), they taste fresh and perfect for spring. On the sign at the stand they recommend quickly stir-frying the blossoms with garlic and finishing with tangerine juice and soy. I decided to go with that idea and add some tofu for substance.
1 block firm tofu, cubed (if you live in Northern California and can find Hodo Soy, I recommend buying it)
Canola or peanut oil for stir-frying (use as much as you like; I tend to go light on oil to keep the fat down)
A few cloves of garlic, minced (more or less depending on how much you like garlic)
A bunch of bok choy blossoms
Juice of two tangerines
A couple splashes of soy sauce
A spoonful of cornstarch
Steamed rice with green onions and ginger (I threw everything in at once and steamed them together. Next time I would probably save the dark green bits and add them at the end)
1) Before you start stir frying, mix together your tangerine juice, soy and corn starch.
2) Stir fry your tofu in some oil until golden. Set aside.
3) Add a bit more oil to your wok or pan and fry the garlic for about 30 seconds–make sure it doesn’t burn because it will get bitter and nasty and ruin your dish. If it does burn, just toss it out and start over.
4) Add your blossoms and toss with the garlic, cooking just long enough to wilt.
5) Add the tofu back in and pour in the soy/tangerine mix.
6) Cook the veggies and sauce another minute or so until the sauce has thickened a bit and your mix has a glossy appearance
Serve with your steamed rice.
Laila Loves Lettuce 
Hey, this is great! I’m wondering what market you frequent?
Have you tried Fava Greens? They’re around for a limited time and not to be missed!
Thanks! Lately I’ve been going to the market at the DMV on Claremont but I used to go to the Grand Lake market often and really like that one as well. I want to try fava greens! I’m on the lookout for them… Have you cooked with them? Any recipe ideas?
look for fava greens at the stand where you got the flowering bok choy.
Sunset magazine just had two great recipes in their most recent issue but their website has some delicious looking quiche recipes as well. Thus far I have only had it raw and as the main green in pesto (yum!).
Sounds great! I’ll check out the Sunset site–thanks for the tip.