Today, I received my first order from Tesco, a UK grocery store chain, to some extent somewhat like Carrefour in Continental Europe. I see lorries (delivery trucks) all the time with bags of groceries from Tesco and Sainsbury’s (another chain)… so I gave it a go. I specifically stated I didn’t want substitutions on my order; however, my anticipated Bok Choy resulted in Choi Sum and some of my items didn’t arrive because I didn’t want substitutions (can’t complain about that, can I?)… so live and learn and never shop online again for me. I’m one of those annoying shoppers who likes to touch the fruit and vegetables before purchasing them. I actually like to go grocery shopping, and linger in the produce aisles…
Anyway, I decided on the choi sum for dinner. I remember eating bok choy in Hong Kong made with delicious oyster sauce. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight, as I don’t normally buy or keep this sauce at home. So, some inventiveness was in order to make sure the vegetable wouldn’t be a bore.
Bok Choy and Choi Sum are basically the same thing, edible stems of the Chinese cabbage, and delicious al dente, but in my opinion need a little “je ne sais quoi” so they are not bland.
Choi Sum and Blueberry Stir-Fry
Ingredients, for 2
- 200g of choi sum, washed (I cut off the bottom part of the stems)
- 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries, plus a few for garnish
- 1 large onion, sliced julienne style
- 3 cloves of garlic, cut length-wise
- 1 teaspoon of thyme
- olive oil or sesame oil
- sea salt (or soy sauce should you prefer)
Process
Wash and pat dry with a paper towel the choi sum. In a wok, add about 4 tablespoons of oil. Over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic. When slightly transparent, add the choi sum, blueberries, and thyme and bit more oil, if necessary. Stir-fry about 15 minutes, until the vegetable is tender. Add the sea salt, to taste. Cook about 1 minute longer. Place on serving platter and garnish with some raw blueberries.
