Bok Choy

Bok choy are Brassicas, members of the cabbage family which also includes cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Other common names include pak choi, pok choi, and Chinese cabbage. Their botanical name is Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis. They don’t form heads and grow stalks from a bulbous base, similar to celery. The stalks and the leaves are edible and are common ingredients in Asian-inspired cuisine.

Bok choy is commonly purchased in the grocery or at the farmers’ market as full-sized or baby bok choy but they are the same plant. Baby bok choy is harvested when the plant is younger, giving it a tender and sweeter taste. Use baby bok choy in soups and salads and the larger, more sturdy plants in recipes like stir fry that require longer cooking.

Cabbage

A member of the brassica family, cabbages are hardy, tasty and versatile. They can be sown indoors or outside, and take four to six months to mature.

Cabbages are a productive and nutritious crop, rich in vitamins, antioxidants and fibre. They can be enjoyed in many different ways, raw or cooked – made into coleslaw or sauerkraut, sautéed, lightly steamed and added to stir-fries, stews and soups.

You can harvest cabbages any time after they begin to produce heads. A head is a dense, tightly wrapped bunch of leaves at the center of the plant. Be careful – the plant will look like it has a head before it actually does –you can squeeze the leaves in the middle to determine if there is a head in there or not.

Harvest cabbages by cutting through the stem right below the head. Remove any dirty, damaged outside leaves. Cabbages will store reasonably well in your refrigerator for at least a couple of weeks (do NOT wrap them in plastic!). If you have a lot of them, you can also dig a hole at least 60 cm (24 in) deep in your garden, line it with straw, and put the cabbages in it (covering them first with straw and then soil) until you want to dig them out and eat them.