THE CHINESE GREENS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 11

DID YOU KNOW?
Either raw or cooked, Chinese mustard is a rich source of many vitamins and minerals, especially vitam-
ins A, B 6 , C, riboflavin, and iron. For that reason, it has been considered useful as a spring tonic.
Chinese mustard comes in two forms, Brassica juncea ssp. rugosa and B. juncea
ssp. foliosa . In appearance they differ primarily in the color of the foliage. The rugosa
has brownish red leaves, while the foliosa has dark-green leaves. The rugosa has broad-
er, thicker stems (like Swiss chard) that can be used separately from the leaves and
cooked like asparagus.
Varieties to look for: Bau-Sin, San-Ho Giant, Red Giant.
CULINARY USES
SALAD . You can combine Chinese mustard in salads with other greens, or make a small
salad of just this attractive green as a zesty side dish, garnished with minced hardboiled
egg and tossed in vinaigrette made with a dash of lemon juice (but no mustard).
COOKED GREENS . In cooking, treat it just like spinach. Steam briefly over a very small
quantity of boiling water (longer cooking makes it less flavorful) and toss with Asian
sesame oil and soy sauce. Use it instead of spinach in your favorite quiche recipe, or
combine with a cream sauce for delicious crêpes. It also makes an interesting green
sauce for pasta, whirled in a blender with melted butter and a couple of garlic cloves
and briefly heated. Try them cooked Southern-style with a bit of lemon, a dash of vin-
egar, and some bacon bits.
USING THE SYSTEMS . Prepare the broader, thicker stems of some varieties separately,
cooked like asparagus. In Asia, the stems are very popular in stir-fry dishes and are
frequently pickled. To pickle, save the liquid from your next batch of pickles (your
own or commercial ones), heat to the boiling point, cool to lukewarm, and pour over
the cut-up stems. Refrigerate for three or four days and serve. Be sure the liquid isn't
too warm when you pour it over the stems or you'll sacrifice the crunchiness of a good
pickle.
OTHER USES . Chinese mustard adds character to clear soup and makes an excellent ve-
getable to stir-fry with ginger, pak choy, bean sprouts, snow peas, and mushrooms. For
a heartier version, add a bit of shredded chicken or pork.