Flickr: The Marmot

I am ashamed to admit that I only recently started cooking with bok choy. A member of the cabbage family, bok choy has been cultivated in China since ancient times and is often referred to as Chinese cabbage or simply "white vegetable." Available year-round but hitting peak season during the winter months, bok choy boasts mildly flavored crunchy stalks and leaves resembling cabbage.

Bok choy varieties, recipes, tips, and ideas after the jump.

A staple in Asia and elsewhere around the world, this versatile brassica has over twenty varieties, with several that are readily available in the United States. Shanghai bok choy has apple green leaves and stalks, and is also sold in a miniature variety—baby bok choy. Choy sum or bok choy sum is the most tender (and usually priciest) variety, characterized by tiny yellow flowers and light green leaves. Tat soi and baby tat soi have dark green leaves that grow in a large, flat spiral shape and make a perfect addition to spring mix salad greens.

When selecting your bok choy, avoid wilted, broken, or spotted leaves, limp stalks, and discoloration. Bok choy will keep for a few days unwashed in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. To prepare your bok choy, just chop off enough stalk before washing so that it can be thoroughly cleaned under running water.

Not only is bok choy fat free and low in calories, but it is also loaded with vitamin C, and vitamin K, calcium, and potassium. Whether you are already a bok choy lover or just getting acquainted, we've gathered some great recipes to celebrate this seasonal vegetable.

Recipes

• Miso-Glazed Catfish and Baby Bok Choy
• Soba with Mushrooms and a Side of Bok Choy
• Seriously Asian: Stir-Frying Vegetables
• Stir Fried Bok Choy with Soba Noodles
• Grilled Bok Choy With Spicy Vinaigrette
• Gourmet's Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy with Garlic
• Kare-Kare

What are your favorite bok choy recipes?