Asian Vegetables from Seeds of Change
by Emily Skelton

Rich in a diversity of fresh vegetables, the Asian diet is as nutritious as it is flavorful. Seeds of Change is happy to offer twenty-seven varieties of vegetables commonly used in Asian cuisine. To help you integrate these vegetables into your garden plans we have compiled an easy-to-use chart describing these varieties with information on when to plant and harvest, and how to sow.

While all of these Asian varieties have distinct nutritional attributes, the mustard greens (Brassica juncea) are the most packed with nutrition. Furthermore, mustard greens, as well as many other Asian vegetables, are easy to grow and often produce quickly so that you can start enjoying them in as few as twenty days. If within hours of harvesting them, you just barely blanch or lightly steam the greens, as is traditional in much of Asia, most of the superior nutritional qualities remain intact. Mustard greens have high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, fiber, and calcium to name a few. Vitamins A and C are well known antioxidants that work to eliminate free radicals in the body, which are known to cause cell damage and are linked with many diseases. Mustard oils contain glucosinolates, which appear to reduce the risk of certain cancers by helping the liver perform its detoxification processes (see www.whfoods.org "Mustard Greens").

Chart courtesy of www.whfoods.com

Sesame Rice Vinegar Cucumber Salad Ingredients 2 small Satsuki Madori or Suyo Long cucumbers 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce ¼ cup rice vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds 1/2 bunch fresh mint, leaves only Shungiku Edible Chrysanthemum sea salt Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds. Put them into a bowl and toss them with the soy sauce and rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, mint leaves and salt, to taste. Serve slightly chilled. Garnish with fresh Chrysanthemum flowers or leaves from the small plants.

Quick Spicy Kimchee Ingredients 1 small head Market Pride cabbage, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds 1/4 cup sea salt 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 Purira Chile finely chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated 2 cloves Shantung purple garlic, finely chopped 2 scallions, finely sliced Remove outer leaves from cabbage. Cut cabbage in quarters and remove the inner core. Slice across sections into 1/2-inch slices. Put into a colander, add salt, and mix well. Place over a bowl and let drain, covered, until wilted, about 2 hours. In a large bowl combine the vinegar and sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the chili paste, ginger, garlic, and scallions and stir. Rinse the salt off the cabbage with a couple of changes of water. Dry well and add to the vinegar mixture; stir well to combine. Put into a sterilized glass jar and pack the cabbage down; add enough water to cover. Close the jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This is spicy and gets spicier the longer it sits - add or subtract chili paste to your taste.

Asian Stir Fry Ingredients Sauce: 1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon Hoison sauce 1 teaspoon black bean garlic sauce 4 tablespoons Pepper Sauce 4 tablespoons Green Pepper Sauce Szechwan pepper corns - (10 turns) fresh ground 1 packet Goya Sauzon 2 tablespoons corn starch - (to 3) Stir Fry Vegetables: 2 Tai Sai Chinese Cabbage stalks, large, diced 2 cups fresh Tokinashi, Okhura or Miyashige Daikon slices 1 small Market Pride Cabbage head diced 1-cup stir-fry Chires Baby corn (pickled in salt good too) 1 cup Mung bean sprouts 2 cups Oregon Giant or Sugar Pod 2 Snow Peas ¼ cup sliced Shantung Purple garlic The key to stir-fry is to heat the pan until it is very hot and to cook the vegetables very quickly. First add peanut oil and heat to almost smoking. Then add the two cabbages and the Daikon radish. Rinse the salt off the cabbage with a couple of changes of water. Dry well and add to the vinegar mixture; stir well to combine. The corn, bean sprouts and snow peas can be added in the last minute just to heat them up. They are the most nutritious and best tasting eaten almost raw.