Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 11: Bibimbap

 Bibimbap

                     By:  Jax Floyd & Kurt Flehinger

Bibimbap is a fantastic opportunity to use as many of the vegetables in our CSA boxes as you choose.  The key is to stir fry each of the vegetables separately so that they retain their individual flavor.  Once mixed, the sauce ties all of them together. And, if you have leftover cooked vegetables from a previous night, you can add those as well.  This recipe serves 4-6 but can be adjusted as you choose.

Sauce

1/4 C. Gochujang (sweet, spicy, fermented chili paste).

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. oil (can use olive oil or neutral vegetable oil)

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. Gochugaru (Korean chili powder)

Vegetables & Rice

6 cups steamed rice (can use white or brown)

Vegetable Oil

2 medium sized onions sliced

1 small bunch kale roughly chopped

2 large carrots cut into matchsticks

1 medium zucchini cut into matchsticks

1/2 pound mushrooms (white or cremini) thinly sliced

1/4 chopped garlic chives

Feel free to add/substitute any of the vegetables from your box. 

1. Mix all of the sauce ingredients until well combined in a small bowl.  Set aside.

2. Heat a wok or large, heavy frying pan over high heat.  Add 1 Tbsp. oil.  When hot, add onions and stir fry until soft but not browned.  Remove to a plate.

3. Add kale and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft.

4. Add carrots and sauté just until barely beginning to soften. Remove to plate.

5. Add zuchinni and sauté until just beginning to soften.  Remove to plate.

Note:  you may need to add additional oil if the pan gets too dry.

6. Heat a heavy cast iron dutch oven over high heat, add 2 Tbsp. oil and swirl to coat.  Pack the rice into the pan and allow to crisp.

7. Add mushrooms and sauté until they lose their water and soften.  Remove to plate.

8. When rice is crispy on the bottom remove pan from heat.  Place each of the vegetables in separate sections over the crisped rice.

9. Drizzle the sauce over the rice and vegetables.  

10. Sprinkle garlic chives over rice and vegetables.

11. Bring to table hot.  Using a spoon.  Turn the rice over and mix vegetables.  Serve immediately.

Note:  To make this dish more of a meal, you can fry one egg for each person and place it over the bibimbap.  Feel free to add/substitute any of the other vegetables in this week’s box (Red Shiso, Napa cabbage, Celery, Eggplant).