by Sherry Horton Blake

Created on: February 09, 2010

There are a multitude of great dishes you can make with Chinese vegetables, and what better place to find these vegetables than your local farmers’ market!  Among the Chinese vegetables you may find at the market are Chinese eggplant, bitter melon, fuzzy melon bamboo shoots, bok choy, Chinese celery, Chinese white radish, leeks, Chinese long beans, lotus roots, Chinese cabbage and snow peas.

The local farmers’ market is definitely the best place to buy Chinese eggplants as the longer they are kept in storage, the more bitter the taste.  Look for them at the market in early summer.  The Chinese version of this vegetable is smaller and more elongated than its North American cousin.  When choosing Chinese eggplants at the market, they should be shiny and deep violet in color, although sometimes they are striated with white.  They should be from one to two inches in diameter and can be up to ten inches in length.  The skin should be thin and without blemishes.   Be sure the eggplant is firm with no soft spots (it is okay to gently squeeze it).  Chinese eggplants are wonderful in a spicy sweet sauce.

You can sometimes find bitter melon seed starts in early spring and summer at your local farmers’ market.  The melon itself looks very much like a gourd.  It should be bright green in color with a bumpy appearance.  Although many people cannot imagine eating this bitter melon, it can actually be quite good with combined with other strong flavors.  For example, it can be quite tasty in a salad with cilantro, cranberries and a strong vinaigrette.  It is also good in strongly flavored soups. 

Whether steamed, stir-fried or placed in a soup, fuzzy melons are a great choice.  When buying them at your local market, choose the ones that are small and firm.  They should be bright green and of course fuzzy.

You can find bamboo shoots at the market in spring and early summer.  When choosing bamboo shoots, choose those that are stout and a creamy tan color.  They should be firm to the touch, never soft or mushy, and not cracked.  Bamboo shoots are great in fried rice or noodles or when used to fill dumplings.

Bok choy (pak choi) has a light, sweet flavor and is great in both soups and main dishes.  You can eat the stalks raw with dip or chopped in a salad.  There are many different varieties of bok choy.    When choosing bok choy at your

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