Bok Choy Egg Rolls

I've fallen deeply in love with bok choy. This Chinese cabbage has become one of my new favorite ways to eat greens, and this is totally a new development for me. I've never been a cabbage fan-- the bitter, almost sulphuric taste really puts me off. Like many Americans, I'm conditioned not to like bitter tastes, but I'm learning in school that many very health-supportive properties are present in those bitter foods that our fast food nation has come to abhor. So I'm putting on my big girl panties, stepping up to the plate (heh) and trying to slowly introduce bitter flavors into my diet.

And that's where bok choy comes in-- you might call it my gateway to bitter greens.

(bok choy photo courtesy Karen Roth Nutrition)

Bok choy is not too "cabbage-y" and it's bitterness mellows out beautifully with the addition of a little sauteing, a hint of spice and a lot of garlic. Both its crunchy stems and its leafy tops are edible and delicious. And best of all, it's in season this very moment, which means I'm getting a head every week in my CSA box.

Making egg rolls sounds fancy and slightly intimidating, but you'll be amazed by how easy they are. And although frying isn't exactly a health-supportive method of cooking, these little babies are perfect snacks to bring to a party, so you don't eat them all yourself in front of the TV while watching a marathon of Law & Order: SVU. (Not that I would know anything about that.) Refined coconut oil is the healthiest oil to use for frying-- it holds up to high heat without smoking, it's a great source of lauric acid (thought to lower "bad" cholesterol) and it imparts a subtle coconut flavor which is great in Asian dishes. Plus it's incredibly shelf-stable and resists rancidity, so it's well worth the extra cost at the grocery store.

I bought my egg roll wrappers at my local grocer's, but if you're feeling super industrious, go ahead and make your own. A quick google search yielded quite a few recipes for egg roll wrappers, some of which require a pasta roller. Don't limit yourself to just egg rolls, though-- this filling is very versatile and would work well as steamed or baked dumplings. There's a great tutorial video for folding dumplings and potstickers here. Experiment, create, enjoy your bok choy!


Bain taitneamh as do bheil!


PREP TIME: about 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: about 45 minutes
YIELDS: approximately 2 cups of filling, or enough for 9-10 egg rolls


INGREDIENTS:

• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 3 cups water
• 2-3 teaspoons olive oil, for sauteing
  
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2" saute slices
• 1 medium head bok choy, washed thoroughly
• 2 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated OR 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
• 2 tablespoons shoyu or soy sauce
• 9-10 egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg
  
• 2-3 cups refined coconut oil, for frying
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a heat-safe bowl. Bring 3 cups water to a boil and pour over mushrooms. Cover bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and pliable. Remove mushrooms from liquid, (do not discard the soaking liquid) remove and discard woody stems. Thinly slice re-hydrated mushroom caps and set aside.
   
2. Chop the bok choy: cut the stems into 1/2" slices and set aside in a separate bowl. Roughly chop the leafy greens into bite sized pieces.
   
3. In a large skillet, heat up olive oil until the surface begins to shimmer. Add the onion slices and saute until slightly browned. Add the bok choy stems and saute until stems are slightly soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, sliced mushrooms, 5 spice powder and ginger, saute for 1 minute more.
   
4. Add 1/2 cup of mushroom soaking liquid, 2 tablespoons shoyu and boy choy greens, stirring to combine. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes or until greens just wilt. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. When filling is cooled, drain and discard excess liquid.
   
5. To assemble egg rolls: crack 1 egg into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Lay one egg roll wrapper out on your cutting board.
   

With your finger or a pastry brush, apply egg wash to the edges of the the wrapper.

(my apologies for the quality of these photos-- it was late, I was tired and my hands were covered in egg goop)

Place 1-2 tablespoons of filling diagonally across the wrapper.

Fold bottom corner up over filling:

Fold in two sides, creating an envelope:

Gently roll filling towards the top of the wrapper, tucking in sides as you go. Try to get all of the air pockets out of the wrapper.

Gently pat down the egg roll, making sure everything is in place and that the edges are sealed.
If your wrapper rips, no biggie-- just start over with a fresh one. Most egg roll wrappers are sold in large quantity packs, so you should have plenty of room for error.


To fry: heat coconut oil to 325 degrees Fahrenheit in a large, heavy bottomed skillet with high sides. (You should have enough oil in the pan to come halfway up the side of one egg roll). Gently slide egg rolls one at a time into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until a crispy and golden brown. (Be careful not to crowd your pot-- it's best to fry only 1-2 egg rolls at a time.) Transfer egg rolls to paper towel lined plates to absorb excess oil.

Serve hot and enjoy your gateway greens!

Rhubarb Compote

Oh, glorious spring! The weather has turned downright balmy, the trees are a technicolor shade of green and I'm awoken every morning by the sound of birds cheeping. After a long and dreary winter, this is downright heavenly.

As an added bonus, this spring heralds the beginning of our CSA deliveries from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative. Last week we picked up our first share-- it was so exciting. For a produce junkie like myself, there's something so inspiring and challenging about being presented with a random assortment of seasonal vegetables every week. And since it's already paid for, I am working very hard to use every last leaf and stem of all the vegetables we get every week.
Our first share included a gorgeous bunch of rhubarb, which I am ashamed to say languished in the fridge for a few days until I got around to it. I had grand plans to make rhubarb pickles, but it had gone the tiniest bit soft, so I decided instead to make a rhubarb compote.

This compote is sweet and tangy and perfect over ice cream or, as I've been doing every morning, spooned into a little kefir. (Kefir is a fermented yogurt-like beverage that tends to be a little tart, so this compote makes a lovely addition) It could even be used as a refrigerator jam, spread on toast and enjoyed with a cup of tea as you greet the spring mornings.


Bain taitneamh as do bheil!


PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: about 20 minutes
YIELDS: about 2 cups


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 20 whole cloves
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound rhubarb stems, cleaned and chopped into 1' pieces

DIRECTIONS:

1. Gather cinnamon stick, cloves and peppercorns in a piece of tight-weave cheesecloth and tie tightly into a bundle.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Add chopped rhubarb and spice bundle and reduce heat to a simmer.
3. Simmer until rhubarb is completely broken down and very soft and mixture begins to thicken a little, about 20 minutes.
   
4. Remove mixture from heat and discard spice bundle. Transfer compote to a bowl and refrigerate until use. Compote will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
   

Herbed Cheese Crackers

I'm on a bit of a potluck kick lately. Just a few days before the book release potluck, I hosted an Easter Sunday potluck at my house for all of my friends who didn't celebrate Easter or couldn't make it to a family dinner. My friend Lauren even brought her parents, who were lovely and who graciously brought a case of wine to the festivities. (Note to self: invite parents to more parties)

Trying to keep things low-key, I urged my friends who were working that Sunday not to worry about bringing food, booze would be fine. I mean, there's always so much food at potlucks, right? I figured we'd get a few six-packs to go with our spread.

As it worked out, only about four people brought food, and the rest brought beer. And wine. And Jack Daniels. But hey, you know what? It was pretty damn perfect. The food was delicious and the alcohol made for a relaxed atmosphere as old friends, friends from my current job, friends from my former job and a few new-to-me friends mingled and got to know one another.

As for myself, I was so stressed about getting the house clean and preparing for everything that my own contribution to the potluck suffered. (This has been a reoccurring theme lately. When will I learn to keep my head in the food and stop over-thinking things?!) I made a rather unappealing dip with a bag of Jerusalem Artichokes that I had picked up on a whim. Maybe I don't like the taste of sunchokes, I dunno. My dip just didn't do it for me. I mean, it wasn't bad. It was just... meh. Plus the color was a muddy brown, plus despite the obscene amount of butter I blended into it, I just couldn't get it to the delicious stage.

HOWEVER. In a classic over-achiever move, I made crackers to go with the dip and they turned out quite spectacularly.
I'd never made crackers before, so I adapted the recipe from the wonderful book Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, by Karen Solomon. This book was a spontaneous purchase a few months ago, and I keep flipping through it, deciding what I'm going to make next. Karen's easy-breezy writing style takes you through some very interesting cooking projects: everything from making ketchup to curing your own meat to canning marmalade to making cheese. Her cracker recipe produces flaky, crispy little bites that are ripe for a better dip than my sad sunchoke attempt. Luckily Lauren brought cheese, so the crackers found a happy partner there.

Although there's work to be done in the dipping department, I now have a recipe for crackers in my arsenal that I'll use over and over again. Once you see how easy it is to make your own crackers, you'll hesitate to buy those hidden-ingredient-often-tasteless store brands.

As for me, I vow from this point forward to take a deep breath and concentrate on the food.


Bain taitneamh as do bheil!


PREP TIME: about 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10-20 minutes
MAKES: about 50 crackers, depending how big you cut them


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for the tops
• 2-3 twists of the pepper mill, plus more for the tops
• 2 tablespoons dried sage
  
• 2 cups shredded aged gouda
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 cup very cold water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
   
2. In a large bowl, shift together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper and sage. Stir in grated cheese. In a separate bowl, lightly beat one egg and the olive oil together.
   
3. Stir liquid into the dry ingredients until it is incorporated and looks crumbly.
   
4. Add water gradually, one tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms and can be made into a single ball. (Steps 2-4 can be done in a food processor, if you prefer)
5. Cut the dough in half and wrap each half tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for at least a half hour.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough to about 1/4" thickness (1/8" if you prefer a very light and crispy cracker). Lightly prick the dough all over with a fork.
   
7. In a small bowl, lightly beat the second egg. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
   
8. Cut the dough into shapes-- as you can see from the pictures, I bought a couple of spring-themed cookie cutters, but you should let your imagination run wild! If you don't want to use cookie cutters, you can just use a knife and cut the dough into squares or use a glass to make circles.
   
9. Lightly oil two baking sheets and gently transfer the cutouts onto them. Bake for 10-20 minutes, or until lightly browned, checking frequently to prevent burning. If you've rolled your dough slightly unevenly, some crackers will be done before others.
   
10. Remove crackers from oven and cool completely. These babies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Karen's book indicates that they also freeze well.