(Temporarily) Lonely-hearted Ginger soba noodle and bok choy salad

I've mentioned my delicious CSA on the blog before, but mostly in praise. One thing that blokely doesn't like so much is the preponderance of bok choy. I like bok choy, but it's hard to incorporate into western style* dishes. Mostly we did bok choy with pan-fried tofu and brown rice, which got boring. He left last Saturday, which is very sad, but this means I can eat sea vegetables, sesame oil, and garlic like its going out of fashion and not offend anyone.

Garlic from the CSA. Some lady said, "I didn't know garlic looked like this!"

This is really good dish, and best of all, it's gluten and dairy free, for the allergic types. It's got sea vegetables, which are good for women.
Also, see the pictures of a very simple iceberg lettuce salad I made. Not because iceberg lettuce salad is so interesting, but because our farmer gave us the greenest, most vibrant iceberg lettuce I've ever seen. It still tasted like nothing though, so I threw in some argula for good measure

"I belong to a Bok Choy Share" Ginger Soba Noodle Salad
serves 2 hungry fools, or a dinner and a lunch for the lonely-hearted
(about 20 minutes, if you love to chop)

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1" ginger root, peeled and grated/chopped finely
olive oil (2 Tbs?)
2 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs or to taste soy sauce
2 heads of baby bok choy (or 1 big bok choy)
3-5 shitake mushroom heads, sliced
8 slivered and dry roasted almonds (say 2 Tbs of the prepackaged stuff, or substitute toasted sesame seeds. I bet cashews would also be delicious)
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks (or grated); or use a bag of rinsed mung bean sprouts (also common supermarket item)- just need it for the crunch
2 pieces of nori seaweed, cut into strips (optional)
2 green onions, chopped all the way up to the top
2 servings of soba noodles (buckwheat noodles, found in Asian section- if you can't find them, use whole wheat noodels instead)
cayenne (pinch)- also optional

Method:
1. Boil water and make your soba according to the directions. I throw the seaweed here for good measure.
2. Cut up your bok choy. The trick to crisp bok choy is cooking the ends first. You have to wash those suckers out, then separate leafy bits from the stems. Slice about 1/4" (or a little more) strips (they should be shorter, not along the length).
3. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add garlic and ginger, after 1 minute, add the mushroom bits. In a couple more minutes at the chopped bok choy stems, stir. After 2 minutes, add the leaves as well. Cook an additional few minutes until they are wilted and yummy. Turn off the heat.
4. When noodles are done, drain. Add them to the pan with the bok choy. Add sliced green onions, carrot matchsticks, and season with sesame oil and soy sauce. I am bad for my blood pressure so I probaby should have used less soy sauce.
5. Since its so good for you, try not to eat it all once.

Seaweed-licious

*If Indian, Mexican and Middle Eastern dishes are "western". I suppose they are in comparison to East Asia.