Celtuce and Choy Sum: New Editions to the This Week’s Produce Box

When Kyle, our Garden Manager, giddily said that he had something exciting for the boxes this week, I thought that our spring tomatoes were ready for harvest.

It wasn’t tomatoes. It wasn’t carrots. In fact, it was something I had never before seen. In his hands, Kyle held a green vegetable that looked like a small wand with a perm.

“Celtuce!” he said victoriously.

I kindly replied, “Kyle, I quite literally have no idea what that is.”

Before he came to BDA, Kyle spent two years living and working in China. That time has stayed relevant to him, not only inspiring his menus in the kitchen but also what he decides to grow in the fields.

It is because of this experience that we at BDA are bringing you celtuce and choy sum in your full and small veggies boxes this week.

Celtuce

Celtuce (pictured above) is a type of lettuce. Unlike most lettuces we are familiar with preparing in the United States, celtuce is a stem lettuce. While it has leafy greens, you’ll want to primarily use the milky stem. Uncommon here, celtuce is popular in both mainland China and Taiwan.

To prepare, you’ll want to first peel away the rough exterior. From there, this is great for a stir-fry or pickled. Kyle recommends that you check out this recipe here.

Choy Sum

Choy Sum, also used in Chinese cuisine, is a member of the mustard family. Choy Sum is sweet, offering a flavor not far from that of our hakurei turnips. For flavor when cooking, consider using “ginger, soy sauce, or garlic, and other classic Chinese flavoring.” (Ref: Diversivore, Choy Sum)

While we always love our staples, it’s so rewarding for us to see you all experimenting with previously unknown vegetables. Let us know how these are making their way to your plate this weekend!