Today, though, we actually like vegetables and we treat them accordingly, and the first thing I should tell you about the choko is that it should never be boiled. Microwave it, steam it, fry it, bake it, stew it, but never boil it. Despite, though, our passion for vegetables the resurgence of the choko seems to be taking an inordinately long time. It's lousy reputation lingers.

In my column in The Herald today I point out that the world needs more choko recipes. A choko vine on the back fence or over the garden shed will put food on the family table most days of the year, and it will do so without spewing a single gram of pollution into the atmosphere. No poison required, no synthetic fertiliser, no fuel-driven agriculture, no transport to market and home.

Here, now, you and I are going to do our bit for that resurgence. We want your choko recipe. And we want it now.

To get things rolling here is my family's favourite choko dish, a Chinese-inspired casserole created by my wife. We use a Chinese clay pot on top of the stove, but a

saucepan will be fine.

Chop four medium chokos into

bite-size pieces, microwave until half

cooked (perhaps two minutes). Fry in a

saucepan a chopped onion, a couple of

garlic cloves and a teaspoon of grated

ginger in a little oil, then add 500 grams of

chopped chicken. When the chicken is

browned add the half-cooked choko, two

tablespoons of Chinese rice wine, two

tablespoons of soy sauce and one quarter

cup of stock, then cook with the lid on for 10

or 15 minutes. Finally add cornflour to

thicken and a dash of sesame oil.

Serve with rice and a little bowl of soy

sauce (the thin version) with chopped chilli.

The world needs your choko recipe urgently.