When I decided to improve our garden here, so that we could grow some of our own food, one of my goals was to be able to use a vegetable, fruit or herb from the garden in every homemade meal. So, when I wander out to the garden each morning now, with my little harvest basket tucked under my arm, I am not only looking at what's ripe or ready, but I'm thinking of how I can use that freshest of foods in our day's meals.
In my little basket of homegrown goodness, picked yesterday morning, there was ...
... little ripe & red capsicums ...
... small and sweet baby zucchinis...
... bright green lettuce leaves ...
... cucumbers that are as crunchy as apples...
... long, chili-shaped yellow capsicums
In that basket, which also included a bunch of Italian flat-leaf parsley and some fragrant basil, I had something I could use in every meal I made yesterday. I used the herbs in delicious breakfast omelets. The lettuce, cucumber and beans went into a healthy garden salad for lunch which we had with zucchini "bread", made with some of those small and sweet zucchinis. In the evening, the sauce of our spaghetti bolognese was made using our capsicums, zucchini and more basil that I picked from just outside my back door. Something from the garden in every meal!
Zucchini "bread" made with our own zucchinis.
There is something so wonderful and satisfying about growing, harvesting and eating food that you have grown yourself.
Have a lovely weekend.
Meg
p.s. Don't grow any of your own food yet? Why not start by planting a herb, like thyme or parsley or oregano, in a little pot for your windowsill or balcony or verandah. Nurture it and in no time at all you'll be picking some leaves to add to a meal of your own.
Hi Meg, how wonderful, this is what I aspire to. I would love to have an abundant garden where I could pick something for every meal, but at this stage, I just don't grow enough. I have herbs a plenty though and you are so right, herbs are a great starting point. Buying herbs is expensive and most herbs are quite hardy and easy to grow.
ReplyDeleteHave a fantastic Friday and a wonderful weekend.
Fi
Hi, Fiona. Our garden here continues to evolve, there is more food growing here now than there used to be but there is still more I'd like to do too. It's a journey, I think, and it really depends on where we are at in terms of know-how, time, space, and other factors. The most important thing, I think, is to start somewhere, if growing your own food is a goal, and just build upon that. Meg:)
DeleteMeg I have decided I am terrible at growing zucchinis. They start off well though. I have just covered up all the veggies as we are due for 36C today :-(
ReplyDeleteForecast here is 34C but it feels a lot hotter than that outside. Tough conditions for plants like veggies and folk like us, Nanna Chel, who prefer cooler temps. I am happy with the zucchinis I've been getting out of the garden this season, but have had a lot of trouble with apple cucumbers. The Lebanese Cucumbers I've grown are doing really well, but I've not had a single apple cucumber. Sometimes, some things just don't grow and it's a mystery as to why not! Meg:)
DeleteHow rewarding. It really does give such satisfaction and pleasure to grow your own.
ReplyDeleteYes! Eating something that you've planted and nurtured in your own patch of earth. Magic!
DeleteHi Meg, thanks for stopping by my renewed blog ;) Comments certainly make it all worthwhile, don't you think? Your garden looks so lovely and fruitful (vegetableful?)
ReplyDeleteI have a question (that I've wanted to know for years!) - how do you reply below each individual post? Im thinking it depends on the basic blog template although I hope not as I'm not keen to fiddle with it!! Evi
Hi Evi, Leaving and receiving positive comments is lovely, I think because it sets forth positive/supportive/kind ripples in another's day:) To put comments I receive up onto the blog, I go to my blogger dashboard where I can see those comments awaiting moderation and click publish. I then click on View Blog and I can see those comments on the blog. Under each comment I can see a Reply Delete option. I just click reply and it opens up a box for me to respond and then I can publish my reply. I hope that's helpful??? Meg:)
DeleteThanks Meg but I think it does rely on what template has been used in the initial blog set up. Or maybe its because you have comment moderation switched on and mine is instant comment! I've had a look in my comments moderation and I'm unable to do it from there. Oh well, I shall continue to reply in a haphazard fashion....thanks for trying!!
DeleteMy garden is lying fallow this year, I'm thinking I will wait until autumn and the cooler weather before trying to grow something. In the meantime the hot weather is making it easy to make compost.
ReplyDeleteHi, Pip. Autumn is a wonderful season to start growing things:) The weather here, with days and days of high temps, has been challenging I think for plants and gardeners alike. We had storms roll through yesterday with heavy rain that was a welcome reprieve but the temps will soar again later in the week so no use trying to start seedlings out in the garden until more consistent cooler weather arrives. Sigh! Meg:)
DeleteWhat an amazing garden you have, Meg! I love the idea of aspiring to have something home-grown in every meal :)
ReplyDeleteOh the joy of growing your own!
ReplyDeleteYour produce looks so lovely Meg. My garden is the best it has ever been. Maybe from the mild climate this year. I have tomatoes growing everywhere, when usually I cant grow them at all. I just picked my second eggplant and it was huge. I harvested the rhubarb and will stew that up and maybe make a cake. The cucumbers are doing well also.
xTania
Your garden sounds really productive, Tania. Are you going to make some passata or sauce with your tomatoes? The heat here is knocking things around quite a bit but there's enough to make in a salad or make a zucchini slice. The cucumbers are the stars here this summer though. They are doing really well and are as crunchy as fresh apples. Delicious! Meg:)
DeleteYOur garden is lovely Meg! Mine is currently buried under at least a foot or more of snow. I am already looking through gardening and seed magazines dreaming of Spring. Be blessed!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debbie. We never get snow here where I live in Australia. It's our Summer here now and we are having heatwaves and storms. A bit of snow would make a nice change given how hot it's been:) It's lovely to look forward to a season where you can get out into your garden. Meg:)
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