Happy Friday everyone! Today I'm going to concentrate on two veggies from the Full Circle Farms box. The first is baby bok choy and the second is romano beans.

First- the baby bok choy. If you haven't already used it, it's time. The choy (we're on a first name basis), especially baby bok choy, is fun. The presentation of its natural state- small and cute- is cool, but it has a neutral flavor and will take on any flavor you match with it. We're going to grill it.

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Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Garlic Butter

1. Get your grill hot. Discard any discolored leaves, and wash well.
2. Cut the baby bok choy in half and coat with a tiny bit of vegetable oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Place face down on the grill. Leave it for about 2-3 minutes. If, after 2-3 minutes, you see that the leaves are charring, move it away from the hot spot in the center to the cooler sides of the grill. The vegetables have already started to cook with the heat, and we want to be careful to not overcook them.
4. After you achieve some nice grill marks, flip and leave them for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the grill.
5. Melt 1-2 Tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of garlic in a saute pan on the stove.
Let it simmer for a few seconds to bring out the flavor of the garlic.
6. Pour the garlic butter on the grilled bok choy and serve.

For dinner last night, I served the Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Grilled King Salmon drizzled with a Raspberry Beurre Blanc and Steamed Short Grain Rice. Recipe for the Raspberry Beurre Blanc follows.

Raspberry Beurre Blanc (to be served with Grilled King Salmon)

1T veg oil
1/2c Raspberries (Check your backyard. You or your neighbor might have a bush. They are
perfectly ripe now)
1tsp garlic, chopped
1tsp onion, yellow chopped
1/2c white wine or sparkling wine
2T heavy cream
3T butter
tt salt and pepper

1. In a sautee pan, heat the oil on high. When the pan is hot, add the garlic, onion, and the raspberries. Saute for 15-20 seconds.
2. Add the white wine and cream.
3. Reduce the liquids by half. This should take between 3-5 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve over grilled king salmon.

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Now lets play with the Romano Beans. These are cousins of the Haricot Verts and the Green Beans, and are equally delicious steamed, braised, sauted, or roasted. Today we will prepare Braised Romano Beans with Maple Bacon.

Braised Romano Beans with Maple Bacon

As the photos show, cut or pinch off the stem at the end of the bean. Leave the pointy ends on for presentation purposes.

12-14 Romano Beans
2ea Bacon, thick slices chopped
1T onion, chopped
1T garlic, chopped
1/2c chicken stock
tt s&p

1. Heat a saute pan on high on the stove. Put the bacon in the pan and let it render until the fat starts to appear in the pan.
2. Add the garlic and onions.
3. Once you can smell the wonderful aroma, throw in the beans and saute for another minute or so. Turn the heat down to med high.
4. Add the stock and simmer over medium high until the liquid is almost gone. Toss in a teaspoon of butter at the end to coat the beans. Season and serve.

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As a final note, I specialize in Home Interactive Cooking Classes (Also known in the science community as HICC. Just joking.) Perfect for couples or for a group of friends who want to learn how to cook delicious new foods in the comfort of their own home or who just want to have an improptu dinner or appetizer party with a live chef. Email me at akcaterer@gmail.com or call 907.230.7687 . It's a good way to cure those rainy day blues.

Meanwhile....eat, drink, and be merry!