May 2020 Issue #177

Hello,

What fun that we both love gardening. Thanks for joining me.

1) Sun Blessing
2) Eco gardening tips
3) Baked Sweet Tahini Potatoes

Out… out you go… outside, quick, now if possible. Nature, earth, the sun, moon and stars are calling you!

Eco gardening tips

• Lemon love
  Lemons and other citrus don't have deep roots. They have a wide fibrous root system and need lots of watering. In hot or windy conditions, especially if in a pot, a lemon tree needs almost a daily watering. If you've just planted a new tree, you want to encourage those shallow roots to grow, so give it a drink every few days, and more often once flowers and fruit appear.
  
  

  
  

• Homes for old foams
  Save old sponges, or foam rubber, cut them up into bits about ¼" (1 cm) square and add to potting mix in containers. This helps drain moisture and saves having to water often. Eco friendly, no need to buy peat moss or water crystals. See more on container plants here




• Spuds like it cold
  Cold for old, hot for new... so the saying goes. It means when you steam or boil potatoes it's best to use cold water, then bring to boil. This stops the outsides over-cooking before the insides are cooked. Having said that, new 'taters can be tossed into boiling water, as they are not so dense, and will quickly cook through in no time. All you need to grow spuds here

Pebble Pillows!

So soft, such fun. You can buy these eye-catching garden gifts HERE

Baked Sweet Tahini Potatoes

Thanks to Dr Ben Kim for this recipe; he calls it comfort food!

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (kumaras)
• 2 Tblns tahini
• 1-2 garlic cloves smashed and finely chopped (optional)
• 2-3 Tblns water
• Juice of ½ small lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).
2. Slice sweet potatoes into approximately 1 cm slices. Season slices with sea salt and pepper and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender.
3. Blend tahini with water and lemon juice, salt and pepper and optional garlic.
4. Drizzle the tahini dressing mix over baked sweet potato slices and serve up.

Preparation time: Approximately 12 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: 2.

Live, love and garden
Megan