Eating the view

What could be more delicious than food grown in your own garden?

From the earth to your plate in five seconds - now that's what you call fresh.

Kitchen gardens are not a new idea. People have been planting and eating the fruits of their labour for centuries and if you look closely, you'll notice a resurgence of urban agriculture - a row of carrots popping up in the flower beds, spinach lining the pathways and potted herbs jostling for space on balconies.

People seem to be reclaiming the once barren soil and are putting it to use again. Whether it is recession chic or food security, from townships to Musgrave mansions, veggies and herbs are popping up all over the city.

Michelle and Barack Obama are doing it too. Prompted by the organisation, Eat the View, they've made the decision to pull up the expansive First Lawn at the White House and to replant it with veggies, in fact enough veggies to sustain the entire White House.

Food has been dubbed "the new gold" and it seems it's not that difficult to be rich these days. With food prices still rising, people are realising the need to become more self reliant and, at the same time, venturing out into the fresh air and getting their hands dirty.

So, are you wondering how you can join the cause? Eco-Idol Jason Hartman has launched a campaign called Planting Season.

His vision is to get 1 million people to plant an organic vegetable on the same day. That day is September 22, the Spring Equinox.

So, dust down your spade and trowel, buy some seeds or seedlings and get digging.

It's an activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family or in peaceful solitude, in a garden or in a pot on a window ledge.


FIRST YOU PLANT IT...

Start off with something manageable like potted herbs and salad leaves to give you the confidence to move on to other tasty veggies.

You can plant the herbs and veggies in just about anything that has drainage, so get creative. Look around your house and use what you would be throwing away anyway. Make a few holes in the bottom and make sure there is about 20cm of soil or more.

Pots should be placed in a sunny spot like a window ledge, preferably close to the kitchen. They need 4 to 6 hours of sun a day, but if you can't give them that in one position, you might need to chase the sun by moving the plants. Even better would be to find a sunny spot on your balcony, stoep, terrace, or outside your kitchen door. If you have garden space that's even better.

Think about what kind of herbs and leaves you eat regularly. If you fancy more Asian style foods, then try growing lemongrass, chillies, coriander and spring onions. Or you might like a more Mediterranean-style cuisine, using Italian parsley, basil, thyme and rosemary.

Rocket grows extremely well in Durban. Plant the types of lettuce or Asian salad leaves you normally enjoy for scrumptious salads. Lettuce will wilt in direct sun and grows better in a shadier place. An area shaded by a structure or a bigger plant would be the right place to plant it.

Start off with seedlings or plants from the nursery and a good potting soil mixed with compost. A handful of small stones in the bottom of the pot helps with drainage. Fill the pot two-thirds full with potting soil mixture. Plant the herbs and fill with more soil. Water immediately after planting so that the plants don't go into shock.

Water your plants regularly and make sure the soil never dries out. It's best to water them until the water starts seeping out the bottom, then stop. They don't like to have soggy feet. If there is excess water in the drip tray, rather drain it off and top up with water when necessary. Watering in the late afternoon is more water efficient.

Some herbs do better in pots because they can then get the individual attention they require. Others like very little attention at all, like rosemary and oreganum. They both prefer sandy, well drained soils and lots of sun. Making them struggle a bit increases their flavour. They like to pretend they are perched on an arid Mediterranean cliff, so 6 to 8 hours of sun is preferable for them and you can forget to water them occasionally.

Allow your herbs to fill out and set root before taking to them with the kitchen scissors, and while you wait for you garden to grow, below are some recipes using veggies in season now that might be growing in a garden near you.


...THEN YOU EAT IT

Borscht

A great way to use up all the last of the autumn crop. Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream and freshly snipped chives.

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic

3 sticks celery

1 large carrot, peeled

3 large beetroot, peeled

2 medium potatoes, peeled

1\6 cabbage

1 apple, peeled

Salt and pepper

Olive oil


1 Heat a large pot with a good glug of olive oil and add the onions and fry on a medium heat until translucent.

2 Grate the carrots and add, along with the garlic and celery. Fry for five minutes.

3 Cut the beetroot into 2cm cubes. Add to the pot and fry for a few minutes.

4 Meanwhile, finely slice the cabbage and grate the potato and apple and add to the pot.

5 Pour in enough cold water to cover a few centimetres above the veggies. Season with salt and pepper.

6 Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes until crimson.

7 Check and adjust the seasoning.

8 Serve with sour cream.



Thai Spinach parcels

These do-it-yourself parcels are light and fresh and perfect for entertaining over an ice-cold beer. Spinach is available in Durban practically all year round.


1/3 cup coconut, toasted

1/4 cup lemongrass, finely sliced

1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely diced

1/4 cup limes, cut into cubes including peel

1/4 cup red onions, finely diced

2 or 3 green chillies, finely chopped with or without the seeds

1/3 cup peanuts, roasted and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup palm sugar (available from Everfresh or any spice shop)

1 or 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

a pile of large spinach leaves, washed well.



1 Arrange all the ingredients in small bowls except the palm sugar and the fish sauce.

2 Place the palm sugar in a small pot and heat until it dissolves into a syrup.

3 Remove from the heat, add the fish sauce and serve in a separate bowl.

4 To eat, take a spinach leaf, sprinkle a little of everything on top, drizzle with sauce, roll up and munch down.Enjoy!


And now read it ...

For more about growing your own food, buy Toni Walters's beautifully illustrated book, Cultivating Flavour, a locally produced guide to growing your own flowers, veggies and herbs. It's available at most book shops and will be invaluable to both the novice and more experienced gardener.

• This article was originally published on page 17 of The Sunday Tribune on September 06, 2009

Source : http://www.iol.co.za