Asian Flavors

typical stir fry

photo by Sarah

So many of the spring vegetables beg to be made into Asian dishes. Although I often stir fry veggies with a little chicken or beef to serve over rice, I wanted to expand my menu options last week so I made an Asian salad of thin slices of Napa cabbage, komatsuna leaves and stems (chopped separately), pea pods, sliced scallions, grated kohlrabi, pine nuts, cilantro, chow mein noodles, and orange wedges over a bed of salad greens. The cilantro and pea pods came from the farmer's market, but the other veggies were all in the Harmony Valley box.

The salad dressing:

1 garlic scrape, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. honey

The salad received rave reviews from the family, especially from Kenna (my son's girlfriend), that I wanted to imitate the flavors in a risotto side dish a few days later when Kenna was once again having dinner at the house. The following dish was also well received:

Asian Risotto

Saute three chopped garlic scrape and two chopped scallions in two tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Add one cup of risotto and saute until golden brown. In 1/2 cup increments stir in three cups boiling chicken broth, waiting to add the next 1/2 cup of broth until the previous one is absorbed. Adding the broth and stirring the risotto takes about twenty minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile stir fry sliced Napa cabbage, pea pods (cut into thirds), and diced kohlrabi in a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of soy sauce.

Add the stir fried veggies to the finished risotto and serve.