August 2017 Issue #144

Hello,

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

1) 'Ave an avo
2) Eco gardening tips
3) Natalie’s Easy Zucchini Fritters

Eco gardening tips

• 'Ave an avo
  Wonderful in salads, avocados are apparently the perfect food containing the right fat for us. Sadly slightly seasonal, we all pitifully complain when prices rise, as they did here a month ago. Remember, many avo trees are biennial fruiting, so they alternate light and heavy cropping years.
  
  

  Also don't be tempted to buy cheap, hard, small avos. Usually picked too early, these immature fruits will never ripen and taste like old car tyres. Plant yourself an avo tree out the back if you've got room and don't mind waiting a few years.




• Frosty McFrostface
  If freezing weather is forecast, depending on the size of your garden, you can put newspaper, old net curtains or hessian etc over tender plants. Sometimes dew on hessian or other materials will freeze also. Just remember, don't prune frost-burnt plants, as the dead foliage will act as a protection to undamaged foliage if further frosts arrive. Also pruning will encourage new growth which will succumb even more to damage.
  
  

  Good sturdy floating row covers are another option. They let in the rain and last a few years, so can be reused.




• Mildew management
  It's disheartening seeing a perfectly lush crop of vine plants or some brassicas get the dreaded mildew or similar fungus or blight. Milk or bi-carb sprays, (see Controlling plant diseases) work best before obvious signs appear. Another preventative is to have a bucket of compost liquid handy and spray every week or after rain. Simply soak well-rotten compost in 5 times volume of water, leave for at least a week, stirring occasionally. Strain liquid through a cloth then spray onto any susceptible foliage.

Click my No-dig Garden Facebook page to read a lyrical carrot description to melt your heart, by writer Cassandra Leu.

And right now is a good time to sow your carrots, both in north and south hemispheres. Here's a new page with everything you need to know about growing carrots

Natalie’s Easy Zucchini Fritters

Thanks to Natalie Brady.

Really easy to make, they are nutritious and delicious. A great recipe to play around and have some fun with. You could easily add a small green onion to it, or some sliced red capsicum for a little different flavour.

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchinis (courgettes)
• 3 Tbsps coconut flour
• 2 eggs
• Pinch chilli flakes
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp Himalayan or sea salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil for the pan.

Method

• Grate zucchinis. Squeeze all the water out of the zucchinis (nobody likes a soggy fritter!) by picking up 1 handful at a time and squeeze the excess fluid into the sink or a bowl. Add squeezed zucchini into a new bowl.
• Add the remaining ingredients (except coconut oil) into the zucchini bowl and stir together with a fork until well combined. If you feel the mixture is too wet add 1 more Tbsp of coconut flour.
• Heat coconut oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Make roughly 4-5 medium size balls of the mixture and press flat into plan.
• Cook each side for 3-5 minutes until nicely browned. Enjoy immediately!
• Extra nice served with avocado, a garden salad, or maybe a dollop of sour cream.

Preparation: 15-20 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
Serves: 1-3 people

Live, love and garden.
Megan