Eat Your Asian Veggies!

In the past decade Asian greens have become popular in American recipes.

Pak Choi

Gardeners have become more familiar with Asian vegetables like edamame, daikon, pak choi and Japanese eggplants over the last 10 years as Thai, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisines have become popular, joining the tried and true Chinese flavors on our tables.

Sow True carries a good selection of these veggies and greens. Below is a list with some growing guidelines and recipe suggestions to whet your appetite.

Minowase Daikon Radish – Heirloom. Giant white roots up to 24″ long by 3″ wide. Sweet and very crispy. 60 days. Mild taste even when large.

Recipe: Good pickled, steamed, stir-fried or raw. Sweet pickled daikon, via foodnetwork.com

Midori Giant- Edamame

Edamame

Midori Giant – Organic. Early variety and heavy producer. Large seeds produce 2-3 beans per pod. 70 Days.
Mojo Green – Bushy, erect plants with abundant pods containing 2-3 beans each. Vigorously growing edamame. 92 days.

Recipe: super kid snack

Eggplant

Japanese eggplants – Heirloom. Classic Asian type with gorgeous dark purple coloring. Long slender fruits and slightly bulbous on the blossom end. 75 days.

Recipe: Szechuan Spicy Eggplant vegetarian style, via Weirdcombinations.com

Mizuna

Delicious mild flavor. Use raw or cooked.

Early Mizuna – Long slender white ribs with bright green serrated leaves. Plant early spring or late summer. 21 days to harvest micro-greens and 35 days for mature heads.
Organic Mizuna – same as early but 40 days until mature heads.

recipe: Mizuna stir fry with bok choi and tofu, via Epicurious.com

Tatsoi

Triumpho – Glossy dark green spoon shaped leaves with mild mustard flavor. Longer stems than standard Tatsoi with evenly sized spoon shaped leaves. 30-45 days.
Organic Tatsoi – Heirloom. Attractive, shiny deep green spoon-shaped leaves on cream colored stems. 40-50 days.

Recipe: Used in salads or brazing mixes. Sweet when eaten young. Delicious in salads and stir-fry.

Other Greens

Michihli – Sweet, crunchy Napa-type cabbage with 3-5 lb heads. 70 days.

recipe: Perfect for cole slaw, sauerkraut, and stir-fry.

Pak Choi – Asian non-heading leaf cabbage with clusters of 8-12 crisp white stalks. Hardy cool weather plant. Slow-to-bolt. 45 days.

Recipe: Steamed bass with pak choi, via BBCgoodfood.com

Baby Choi – Organic. Compact, vase shaped plants with dark-green leaves. Cold and heat resistant. 45 days.

recipe: Eat fresh or cooked.

	*Article Written by: Angie Lavezzo*
	About the Author: Angie Lavezzo is the former general manager of Sow True Seed. Beyond her professional role at Sow True, Angie's passion for gardening extends into personal hands-on experience, fostering plants and reaping bountiful harvests.