September 2021: Baby Bok Choy

This month's seed kit features Baby Bok Choy!  To support our environment, some seed kit materials are now available digitally.

Baby Bok Choy

Dwarf 4-6" hybrid Bok Choy. Use whole, steam or stir-fry. Boil, braise or add to soup. Matures in about 40 days.

Planting Instructions

• Culture: Prepare fertile, well-drained soil. Sow seeds in spring after last frost to early summer or late summer/early fall 1/4-1/2" deep and 1-2" apart, and gradually thin seedlings to 4-6" apart. Recommended row distance is 18-24".
• Water: Keep soil moist. Fertilize as needed. Optimum growing temperatures are in the 60s°F. Exposure to frost or prolonged temperatures below 50°F may result in bolting. Mulch fall crops to avoid premature bolting.
• Harvest: Harvest the whole plant when 4-5" tall.

More About Baby Bok Choy

• Did you know? Bok choy is sometimes called the "spoon plant," and also goes under the names of pak choi, Chinese mustard and Chinese chard. Cultivated in China since at least 500 C.E., bok choy accompanied Chinese immigrants to North America in the 1800's.
• Cooking Tip: All parts of this vegetable are edible, but the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves. For the best results, separate the stems from the leaves. Cook the stems first and add in the leaves in later.

Sautéed Baby Bok Choy

• Serves: 4
• Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1.5" piece ginger root, peeled and minced
• ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 4 bunches bok choy (approx. 1.5 pounds), cleaned w/ ends trimmed
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. chicken stock or water

Instructions:

1. In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add garlic, ginger and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
2. Add bok choy and stir carefully to coat with oil, then cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, stock or water, then cover pan and cook for approximately 2 minutes more, until steam begins to escape from beneath the lid of the pan.
3. Uncover and continue to cook until liquid is nearly evaporated and stalks are soft to the touch, approximately 3 minutes more.

Craft: Bok Choy Vegetable Stamp Roses

You'll Need:

• Bok Choy
• Paper plate
• Paint (or the Beet ink from the last craft!)
• Cardstock/paper

Instructions:

1. Put down newspapers to protect your workspace. Cut the base off of the Bok Choy, saving the green parts for dinner. Pour a small amount of paint on your paper plate. You can also try mixing colors for different effects.
2. Dip the cut end of the Bok Choy into your paint—don't use too much paint or the image won't be clear. Take the stamp and firmly press the cut end onto the paper. Lift the stamp straight up so you don't smear the image.
3. Create leaves for your roses with a small sponge or paintbrush. Let your roses dry before hanging them up to enjoy!