Sunday 12 February 2017

Growing Kau Kee Choy (Vegetable) In My Garden.

I was first introduced to this plant a few years ago when I was in Semenyih visiting our friends. The wife was growing a kind of green vegetable given to her by her sister and she told me that this vegetable is called Taiwan Kau Kee Choy in Cantonese.
She gave me a pot to take home with me and from that small pot, I planted them into 2 bigger pots. After a few harvest, the plants were infested with pests and I have to get rid of the whole pot.
Some time last year, I was again given a pot of these green vegetable when our friends came to visit us in Ipoh. I re-potted them in these shallow pots in my garden.
I have since harvested a few rounds of these green vegetables from my garden and these are still growing in my garden.
 After plucking the leaves and tender shoots off the stalks, the left over older stalks were used to propagate another batch of these leafy vegetable.
These Taiwan Kau Kee vegetable are without thorns and is different from our local kau kee which have thorns on the woody stalks and the leaves are more fibrous
I do not use any pesticides on my edible plants and sometimes they are attacked by pests. Taiwan Kau Kee is easy to grow except that the underside of the leaves can be easily infested with some kind of pests. These pests are also attracted to my basil plants.
Below are some of the ways of cooking Taiwan Kau Kee:
1. Cooked in boiled anchovies/minced meat slices/minced meat balls soup.
2. Cooked as stir fries with just garlic or with meat or prawns.
3. Blanched and drizzled with garlic oil and oyster+light soya sauce.
I harvested a colander full of Taiwan Kau Kee recently and cooked it for our dinner.
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Here is one of our simple home cooked dinner.
Steamed Minced Pork with chopped Tai Tau Choy (preserved salted turnips).
Blanched Taiwan Kau Kee drizzled with garlic oil and oyster+light soya sauce.
2 bowls of rice + rolled oats porridge for hubby and I.
Thank God for this simple home cooked dinner.

Every morning tell him, "Thank you for your kindness,"
and every evening rejoice in all his faithfulness.
(Psalm 92:2, The Living Bible-TLB)

65 comments:

  1. May God bless your family for a wonderful year ahead, Nancy <3

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    1. Thank you, Cloudia. Wishing you all the best for the new year. Have a wonderful day!

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  2. I have yet to try rolled oats porridge...

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    1. I like rolled oats because of the slightly chewy texture.

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  3. I hope that this year no plant pests you do not destroy. I tried to be blanched. Regards.

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    1. Thank you, Giga. I hope the pests will not come to my garden and destroy my plants. Lol!

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  4. Getting vegetables from our garden and preparing food using it gives a wonderful feeling...

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    1. It is rewarding and we get to taste freshly harvested vege knowing that they are pesticide free.

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  5. They all look amazingly delicious and good for you, Nancy.

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  6. Hello Nancy,
    I have just found your blog and I want to follow you.
    I like such simple dinner. In Austria we call it "Hausmannskost".
    Have a nice week,
    Christine

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    1. Thank you, Christine. I am following you now. Have a nice week too!

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  7. ...there sure are a lot of vegetables out there that I have never heard of.

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    1. Like you, I only know those that I am familiar with.

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  8. You have an amazing green thumb and your dinner looks wonderful.

    Have a fabulous day, Nancy. ☺

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  9. Kau Kee is known to be rather bitter, am I right?

    I think my mom has used it to cook soup before

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    1. Hi Libby, this kau kee vege is not bitter at all. Very nice and tender.

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  10. They all look so beautiful, green and healthy!

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  11. You really have green thumb.. whatever you grow those flourish..

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    1. Thank you, Krishna. There are success and there are failure.

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  12. Your food is beautiful, and the pretty dishes are such a lovely match. The leaves are so glossy and healthy! We do not have this here. I think the closest thing there here that looks the same would be baby spinach.

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    1. Thank you, Ginny. I love baby spinach too. Have a wonderful day!

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  13. looks like you are doing well, this time around!! i love growing herbs and any kind of fruit or vegetable!!!

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    1. Thank you, Debbie. I am now focusing more on edibles in my garden.

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  14. Hello Nancy,
    I have added The Gadget for translation. Thanks for following :)!
    Bye,
    Christine

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  15. great plan t to have it in the garden ..

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    1. Thank you, Gosia. Very convenient with our own supply of greens for the table.

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  16. Excellent post (as always)!Thank you very much :)

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  17. I always learn so much from your posts, and I always enjoy your Bible verse as well.

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  18. Great shade of green to those veggies!

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  19. I wonder how it taste Nancy. I don't use pesticides either even to my non-edible plants. Happy Monday!

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    1. The veggie tastes good, very tender and fresh. Have a happy day!

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  20. Replies
    1. It is one of our green vegetables. Have a great day!

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  21. Thanks for sharing! I saw this veg in Tesco but didn't know anything about it. Will grab a pack next time. Can it be planted from the stems?

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    1. Hi Stacy, just stick the older stems into the soil and it will grow easily. Have a good day!

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  22. It is a pretty plant...it does look yummy.

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  23. They look so delicious, and it's wonderful that you can grow some of your own food. My talents do not include growing plants.

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    1. Thank you, dear. This is easy to grow as long as they are not infested with pest.

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  24. Food taste will be excellent when we do with fresh veggies:)

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    1. Thank you, dear. I love fresh veggies. Have a good day!

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  25. Always such a treat to eat things that have been grown in the garden.

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    1. Thank you, Mamas. It is because they are fresh and have the natural sweetness.

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  26. I think it's really fun, practical and cool to be cooking with ingredients from your garden. :) Love!

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    1. Thank you, Lux. We get to eat healthy and fresh veggies.

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  27. Healthy and tasty...and best of all, it's from your own garden!

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    1. Thank you, Irene. At least we know that it is pesticide free.

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  28. the best greens are those grown organically by your own hard work.

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    1. Thank you, Mun. It is good but sometimes the pests give a lot of problem.

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  29. Hi Nancy,how does the kau kei flower looks like? If you have a picture kndly share. Thanks

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    1. I am sorry, Lee. This type of kau kei doesn't have any flower. There is one type that has light purple flower which I don't have. The one without flower is less fibrous.

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  30. Hiewjimmy@gnail.comWednesday, August 15, 2018

    Hi, Nancy. I was searching for this plant today cos my friend gave me a few plants n i am interested to try them, but this type has small flowers n leaves are real succulent n crunchy. I was told they are Taiwan Kau kei Chou. To for your recipes.


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    1. Yes, I like these succulent and crunchy leaves too.

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  31. Replies
    1. I am sorry I do not know the botanical name for this plant.

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  32. Hi, i just got some cuttings of this plant, it has nice purple white flowers! Hopefully my pot have less pests!

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