A Bok Choy and a Soba walked into a bar... and I was all, who the hell are you???

Okay, I kind of recognized the Soba from an earlier rendezvous involving some mushrooms and spinach in a soup, but when I reached into my weekly CSA grab bag and pulled out the bok choy, I was stumped. The Grand Master of the Crops told me it was bok choy and to treat it like any other green. So I told it off. Then I turned it into something delicious. That'll show it.

Bok Choy and Soba Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Here's what you're going to need:
(split into as needed groups for those of us with kitchen ADD)

1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice (fresh squeezed, if you got it)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 tsp dried red pepper seeds
---
1/4 cup canola oil

4 oz soba noodles (You can usually find these in the Asian cooking aisle of the grocery store. Buckwheat noodles will work fine if that's all you see.)
Asian sesame oil

1-2 cups of mixed baby greens
1 head of bok choy, baby or regular, thinly sliced

1/2 fancy pants (I believe people in the know call them "English") cucumber, cut into think strips
1 palmful (gun to my head=1/4ish cup?) chopped cilantro
1 tsp dried red pepper seeds

salted peanuts (optional)


And here's what you're gonna do:

Put the first group of ingredients (o.j., peanut butter, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper seeds) in the blender and turn it on. Now you can either take off the lid here and watch the fun unfold as you dump the canola oil in, or you can take the boring route and drizzle the oil in through the little hole thingy the blender people put in the top of the lid for just such an occasion. As always, it's up to you. Blend until it's... well, blended, I suppose.
If you're into planning ahead and smartness and whatnot, you can do this the day before and put the sauce in the fridge. Warm it up a little before you use it. Never in my life have I been prepared enough to do such a thing.

Break the soba noodles into thirds and cook them in a large pot of salted water according to the directions. You want them to be al dente. Drain, and hit them with some cold water when they're done. Drain again and then toss them with a little sesame oil.

Put the bok choy, greens, cucumber, and chopped cilantro in large bowl. Add the spicy peanut sauce from your blender (or from the ceiling, depending upon which method you chose), the noodles, and another sprinkling of red pepper. Toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with a fistful of peanuts if you're so inclined.

Now aren't you worldly?

Asian shrimp stew with steamed rice

As promised, here's the Asian shrimp stew recipe, taken from the March 2008 edition of Everyday Food. I don't know how Kosher it is to post recipes from magazines, so for the love of God don't tell Martha Stewart I gave you this. Or I'll shove a ham down your throat.

1 cup long grain white rice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 yellow bell peppers (I used one yellow and one orange.) cut into 1 inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (I don't like ginger, unless it's in the form of a tasty
man-shaped cookie, so I skipped it.)
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
coarse salt
1 pound peeled and deviened medium shrimp (thawed if frozen), tails removed
1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1. Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside, covered. Meanwhile, place cornstarch in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in coconut milk, sugar, and 1 cup water; set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and scallion whiles; season with salt. Cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add coconut milk mixture to skillet; raise heat to medium-high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook just until opaque, 3-4 minutes. If necessary, adjust consistency of stew with a little bit of water; season with vinegar and salt to taste.

4. Fluff rice gently with a fork. Serve shrimp stew over rice, garnished with scallion greens.

I don't have much to add here, other than I might bump the coconut milk to 3/4 cup next time. Put extra rice vinegar and red-pepper flakes on the table--Steve and I both added more of each.