Grilled Baby Bok Choy from eatdrinkbetter.com -contributed by Greg and Courtney

Whether you have a tiny dusty charcoal Weber like me or a granddaddy of a gas grill, you’ll wish baby bok choy was in season all summer to accompany your grilled fish, asparagus or sweet corn. Sadly, since baby bok choy succumbs to summer’s heat, it won’t be around much past June.

You will need:

4 heads of baby bok choy (look for ones with tighter heads)

2 T. fresh squeezed lemon or orange juice

2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (not minced)

2 T. fresh herbs of your choosing, such as dill or sage finely chopped

Salt and pepper

1 T. balsamic vinegar or low-sodium soy sauce

Handful of pine nuts or chopped walnuts

Romano cheese, grated

Directions:

Slice heads of baby bok choy in half length-wise (leaves to stem). Soak in cool water for 10 minutes to perk them up and remove any grit hidden inside. While heads soak, heat olive oil in small frying pan. Add thinly sliced garlic and stir until just golden brown (about 1 minute). With a slotted spoon, remove garlic to a paper towel and take pan off heat.

Take baby bok choy out of water and gently shake/pat dry. Slice off upper dark green parts of the leaves from the lighter heads. Coarsely chop leaves and set to the side. Brush both sides of heads with garlic-infused oil. Place with cut side up and sprinkle with lemon/orange juice, salt and pepper and herbs.

Place seasoned heads on pre-heated grill with cut side down. Cover grill for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove cover and turn heads over. There should be a nice golden color starting to appear. Drizzle balsamic vinegar or soy sauce over cut sides of heads. Cover again for 5 minutes.* Remove cover and turn heads one last time back to the cut side. Remove from grill when fork-tender.

*At this point, head to the stove and heat up the remaining oil in the small fry pan. When hot, add pine nuts or walnuts and toast slightly for a minute or two. Add chopped baby bok choy leaves and salt and pepper. Stir constantly until wilted, but still very green (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and toss in fresh herbs if desired.
To plate up, put heads on plate and top with leaves, nuts and a sprinkle of cheese. Add more balsamic vinegar or soy sauce if desired.

(serves 4)