November 2014 Issue #111

Hello,

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

1) You are my sweet potato
2) Eco gardening tips
3) Fennel, Chicory and Tomato Salad

Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.
~ William Ruckelshaus

Raring to know, raring to grow

By the way, who knows why sweetmeat squash isn't sweet?

Eco gardening tips

• You are my sweet potato
  My little granddaughters love sweet potatoes, or kumara as we call it here. They are so good for you — kumaras that is — although grandchildren are good too! As well as the tuberous roots brimming with nutrients, the very edible vine leaves are the same. Some gardeners where I live grow kumara plants for these leaves because we don't have a long enough hot season of at least 5 months to mature the roots.
• Wild bird cafe
  Birds don't like moldy bread and can suffer from it. Same if you are buying bird seed for your backyard birds... buy the freshest... it's more nutritious and the birds will go out of their way to eat the healthier option of fresh seeds.
  
  

  It helps to get to know the kinds of birds that appreciate your wild bird café so that you can taylor-make their lunch and give them the specific foods they like. If you just buy a general bird seed mix, many fussy birds will poke and pick through it and scatter the rest to go to waste. Alternatively provide a large bird tray, or more than one to cater for the different feathered friends that visit you.

• No need for sugar
  When making a tomato sauce for example, that has sugar in the recipe, substitute an equal amount of finely chopped carrot instead. And if you're into baking muffins, cakes and the like, reduce the sugar by replacing up to half with pureed carrot, zucchini or fruit purees, such as apple or mashed banana. Can then use honey or stevia to replace rest of sugar… experiment!

Show some love to yourself and a friend!

Grow the veggies you like and try out ones you've never heard of. Don't plant to early, don't plant too late; it's all on the charts and on the email reminders. No more disappointments, no more utter failures... just utter success from now on. Click the banner below for a free trial and gift one to a friend.

Fennel, Chicory and Tomato Salad

Here's a tangy and tasty salad that will tempt you. If you don't have room to grow fennel, you'll just have to buy it, but it's worth it.

Ingredients

• 1 head Florence fennel, sliced thinly
• 1 head chicory, sliced thinly (can substitute with rocket, which also has a slightly bitter tang)
• 4 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped and crushed
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Method

• Put fennel, chicory and tomato slices in salad bowl
• Mix together well the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and pour over vegetables
• Toss everything to coat, then chill before serving.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Happy gardening
Megan