my friend lucia keeps composting her napa. (she grows a lot since she owns a farm, but she complained she has ideas for everything but napa).
here are two great ways to use napa in cooking.
one: napa stir fry
heat sesame oil (plain, not toasted type)to pretty hot
add grated or julienned ginger
stir 10 seconds and lower flame
add sliced shitake mushroom
stir fry for a few minutes, less if fresh, longer if dried.
add napa cut in larger pieces. add the white part first the leafy ends second.
stir fry a minute while adding tamari wheat free soy sauce to taste.
add a dash of white pepper, or five spice powder if you like near the end
add a dash of toasted sesame oil and some scallions if you like
(you can also use dashes of ume plum vinegar and mirin.
cover, lower flame, simmer and stir for a few minutes until done.
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two: napa in miso soup
i love using napa in fish miso soup.
boil water
add favorite fish (scallops and oysters are great in winter…i know, they are not fish!)
as its nearly cooked add napa.
shitake is also great here, also kombu, carrot, any mushroom, snap pea, kale, etc)
add you favorite miso paste. lately i have been mixing mellow white with red miso, which i tend to do in winter.
simmer for a minute or two.
voila! fish soup in ten minutes…
serve with buckwheat udon noodles or short grain brown rice.
copyright eyton shalom san diego ca jan 2011 use with permission
Ayurveda, Acupuncture, and Chinese Medicine in San Diegohttps://www.bodymindwellnesscenter.com