A quick, easy and super yummy asian bok choy salad. Baby or regular bok choy can be used.

I looked out into my garden after a few 90-degree days here in Portland and was shocked to see the amount of greens ready to harvest. I threw together this salad made of bok choy, pea shoots, red leaf lettuce, bok choy raab, cilantro, fennel, and chive flowers and topped it with my favorite Italian Herb Dressing. Fresh greens make a huge difference in the quality and nutrient value of the salad. If you don't have your own garden, you can find a nearby farmers market, or consider growing salad mix in a container. The best part? When you harvest, cut the lettuce about 1 inch about the soil line, and it grows back within days giving you numerous cuts and many salads to eat!

I am always looking for different ways to prepare raw salads. This one has been a hit with adults and children. It uses raw kale but you would never know it. Massaging greens with a little sea salt breaks down the cell walls of the plant and allows it to become soft, as if it were cooked. This recipe is adapted from a recipe by Cherie Soria, my teacher at the Living Light Culinary Institute. Kale is easy to grow and does well in cooler climates like the Pacific Northwest. It is part of the Brassica family and is high in vitamin A and C, manganese, dietary fiber, calcium, copper, vitamin B6, and potassium.