It has been a while since I've talked of my vegetable garden so today I wanted to share the star of my winter vegetable garden. I had to wait until I actually ate this Chinese cabbage first before sharing it. Sometimes I just grow things to grow them and don't really fully utilize my things once they are grown. Ever do that? Well I'm not doing it anymore-at least not in the case of this cabbage. I planted a six pack of these little starts last fall and my how they have surprised me. Winters in northern Middle Tennessee can be cold and brutal. Usually even the most hardy vegetables will succumb to the cold by the end of January. Not this Chinese cabbage! It laughs at the cold and is never fazed. I love it! It looks so pretty in the vegetable garden as it is the only green thing there in the winter. But what I really really like is how it tastes.
I was a bit hesitant to eat this cabbage because I had nibbled a bit of it straight from the garden. Rabbit I am not as I did not like the taste of this very leafy vegetable when it was raw. My two rabbits adore it though. Well, one snowy evening when I was giving a talk to a home school group and talking about this vegetable I mentioned I did not know how to cook it. One of the ladies perked up and said I do! I asked "How then?" She replied, "Saute it." I happen to have a wok and we love stir fry so I thought that would be the perfect meal to try out this Chinese cabbage. It is so pretty cooked up and added that bit of green that makes stir fry dishes colorful. We all loved it here. The only downside, the two fertilizer bunnies might be eating a bit less Chinese cabbage....
in the garden....
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
Tina,
ReplyDeleteDoubt those bunnies will go hungry. We'll have to try this cabbage next fall.
Tina, your cabbage looks great! I loved cooked cabbage. It would be great in vegetable soup too! Hope you all are doing well! Carla
ReplyDeleteWow, what a lovely photo, and it tastes great, too!
ReplyDeleteRandy, Do try it as this cabbage is most hardy and good for you.
ReplyDeleteCarla, Loved this and it does taste good.
Monica, The taste is greeeeat!
It looks great. Glad you found out how to prepare it. The bunnies will make do.
ReplyDeleteWe love cabbage sauteed. Yummy good! (extra yummy with bacon!) Good for you to try a new one, the bunnies will have to have something else.
ReplyDeleteYup. That's right. The wok. We went thru a Chinese cooking phase a few years back Like maybe 3 times a week. The Chinese cabbage was a wonderful ingrediant. Unfortunately, I mentioned that once a week might be a better approach. Big mistake. It been awhile ever since. :(
ReplyDeleteGlad you found a way to cook it that you all enjoy. Sorry that the bunnies won't be getting as much though. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to look for this in the fall. I'd love to have something fresh to pick in the winter. Now I'll know how to prepare it too.
ReplyDeleteI never liked cabbage or turnip but being a staunch new englander I have always loved and cooked boiled dinners. Did not eat the cabbage or turnip in it but had to cook it to flavor everthing else. Now I love cabbage and like turnip enough to put it in beef stew. I saute cabbage with onions and garlice and add it all to egg noodles. Makes a good meal and tastes good. Your chinese cabbage sure looks good.
ReplyDeleteHello all.
ReplyDeleteYour Chinese Cabbage sure looks yummy. I will have to plant some of it this Fall. I love cabbage as slaw or just boiled or fried.
Hope all have a terrific evening.
I have never grown cabbage Tina, but I tell you I am enjoying my lettuce very much! It is romaine. I run out and pick a leaf or 2 for a sandwich, or a bunch for a salad. I know it will not last long, but I will enjoy it while I can.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound good in a stir-fry, Tina. I was checking out the vegetable garden the other day and pulling out some plant debris when I discovered some spinach and what looks to be leaf lettuce growing! I've never had anything like that come up the next spring; it must have been covered up pretty well all winter.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this can take the temperatures here - even in winter... Looks great and I love cabbage curry!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnother way to try cabbage like this is cooked in milk. I know it sounds odd, but the milk cuts down the twang a bit. But stir fry is our favorite way.
ReplyDeleteI used to feed our bunny mustard greens and he loved it.
Poor wittle bunny's lost their garden treat... Wonder what they will find next? Hee hee....
ReplyDeleteSafe and soundly here ;-)
Tina your cabbage is beautiful and how nice to have it all winter. Love bunnies, each of us kids had one to raise growing up - mine gave us babies. LOL
ReplyDeleteI've never had cabbage sauteed and it really sounds good, the added bacon that Janet suggests sounds yummy to try also.
I wonder if I can grow cabbage in my cold frame over the winter here in Michigan. I wonder if cabbage sets are even sold in Michigan in the fall. I am going to look for them next fall and see if I can have some fresh cabbage to harvest next March.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, I used to love cabbage when my Mum cooked it for dinner when I was a child. I don't know why I never think to serve it as an adult. Your post has me craving some sautéed cabbage.
ReplyDeleteHello Tina, I haven't tried to either eat or grow this cabbage. I might experiment and see how it fares in my Southern Australian garden! Heidi.
ReplyDeleteHello From Zone 5! I'm working on my blog today and looking for other blogs to read about gardens in other places. I had spinach survive this past winter in our zone 5 garden. It was a big surprise to me. It was in a rasied bed, so maybe that had something to do with it. We have 20 degree nights here still( some days 55 or higher) near the Mississippi up in Illinois....so I did get some of my vegetables and pansy plants ( excited started from seed this year--so I hope it works)in this week. Will be covering them tonight since we may have sleet or snow...I put my cabbage in this week and I do hope it survives( started in Feb under lights) out there--my bok choy did well last fall here in zone 5. I make vegetable egg rolls with them in the fall-yum...:-)
ReplyDeletePoor bunnies... but lucky you! That's a beautiful cabbage, for sure. I had the same experience - when the snow melted I was surprised to see cabbage that I left in the bed from last fall actually perk up and put out some new leaves. Not quite enough to eat yet, though.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure that's Chinese
ReplyDelete( Napa ) cabbage? Looks like Asian Kale to me. Chinese cabbage is rather long, upright with tight leaves. Unless this is a new variety?
Carolyn, It was labeled 'Chinese cabbage' when I bought the 6-pack in the store but who knows? It doesn't look like Napa cabbage at all so I looked up Asian kale and it might be that. It's possible this was mislabeled as Asian Kale is actually in the cabbage family too I think. No botanical name on the label so I'll probably never know which one it is. I just know I love it and will look for it again.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually better tasting, easier to grow and more nutritious than Napa. I use it a lot in my Asian dishes -stir fry and soup. I'm also growing it in kitchen garden this year.
ReplyDeleteI've definitely been guilty of growing a plant simply for the sake of growing it...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about a veggie that'll last over a harsh winter! I'm always looking for something to spruce up the garden during our cold, PA winters, and this seems like just the thing!