A Local Culinary Adventure: Asian Veggies you find at the
St. Paul Farmers' Market

By: Cyndy Crist, of the Ramsey Master Gardener Diversity Committee

1. Bok Choy – also called white cabbage or Chinese chard; small bok choy are excellent cooked whole, blanched, braised or stir-fried just until cooked; larger bok choy can be used in soups, noodle dishes, and vegetable combinations; good source of vitamins A, C
   
   
2. Daikon – belongs botanically to the Brassica family; tastes something like turnips when cooked, flavor grows stronger and more peppery as it grows larger; grown and eaten throughout Asia, from Nepal and India through Southeast Asia to China, Korea, and Japan; peel before using; braise, use in stir fry, or pickle; shred fresh into salad or garnish, or cut into sticks and serve with dip (Lo pue in Hmong, Moli in Thai)
   
   
3. Eggplant (Solanum melongena) – comes in a wide array of sizes, shapes, and colors, including:
   1. Thai eggplants –round and light green with white stripes; not bitter as the green color might imply; especially good broiled; skin turns “bronzy and melds with the soft flesh”; most commonly used in curries or stir fries
   2. Dee-ee-uh (phonetic spelling) – elongated, something like a fat pepper, in green, red, and yellow/orange; a hard fleshed eggplant with skin that may be tough and need to be removed before cooking; use in curries, stews, and soups
   3. “Bitter Ball” – described in Local Flavors by Deborah Madison as follows: “The most truly unusual eggplants I saw at any market were those in St. Paul. Grown by Hmong farmers, these were small, round vegetable fruits with purple and yellow colorations, a bit like a bruise or an evening sky after a rainstorm.” Use in stews and curries, or bake, steam, or broil
      
      
4. Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) – believed to aid digestion and blood circulation; rich in beta-carotene, iron and vitamin C; use much like ordinary chives in noodle dishes and stir fries; flower and blades both used; blades sometimes blanched for more delicate flavor (He in Vietnamese)
   
   
5. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) – a “showy, tropical grass with fibrous, sharp-edged leaves that forms into dense clumps” (Jill Norman, Herbs and Spices: The Cook’s Reference); cooling, believed to aid digestion; used in tea, Thai soups and curries, Vietnamese salads and spring rolls (Xa in Vietnamese)
   
   
6. Yuchoy – also known as flowering cabbage, cai xanh (Chinese), choy sum (Cantonese), and cai xin (Mandarin); stems and leaves are generally both tender and pleasantly mild but stems can be peeled before cooking if tough; yellow flowers may also be eaten; can be used in place of broccoli rabe, rapini, or other bright, flavorful greens; use in stir fries and soups or blanched and served with noodles.
   

Recipe: Beef Curry with Thai Eggplant and Long Beans (Makes 4 Servings)
Author: Mai Vang, Market Vendor

• 1 TB vegetable oil 
• 2 tsp red curry paste
• 1/2 lb beef loin, thinly sliced
• 1 TB fish sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 cups coconut milk or light cream
• 2 cups water
• 1 stalk lemon grass
• 1 cup Thai eggplant, diced
• 1 cup long beans, 1-inch pieces
• 15 Thai basil leaves

In a large saucepan, heat oil over low heat. Stir-fry curry paste for 2 minutes. Add sliced beef loin and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add fish sauce, salt, and sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring a few times. Add coconut milk or light cream, water and lemon grass and mix well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add eggplant and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Add long beans and cook over medium heat until eggplant and beans are tender. Stir in Thai basil leaves. Serve with hot rice.