Vegetables and Herbs E-Book

Liam McCann

• Herausgeber: G2 Rights
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 49

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Growing vegetables and herbs at home is easy and rewarding as long as you choose the best time to plant the right seeds. Some require a little TLC while others will happily look after themselves. You don't need to tend a dedicated area in your garden as most vegetables herbs will thrive next to flowers or in containers on balconies or windowsills, or preferably in a plot or on an allotment. This informative little ebook looks at the origins and history of many of the world's most popular vegetables herbs as well as teaching you the best way to grow them.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

VEGETABLES

1 Introduction

2 Asparagus

3 Beetroot

4 Broccoli

5 Cabbage

6 Carrots

7 Chilli

8 Courgette

9 Cucumber

10 Onions

11 Garlic

12 Peas

13 Peppers

14 Pumpkins

15 Radishes

16 Runner Beans

17 Salad Leaves

18 Spring Onions

19 Tomatoes

20 Seasonal Vegetables

21 How to make chutney

22 How to pickle Vegetables

HERBS

23 Introduction

24 Basil

25 Chamomile

26 Chives

27 Coriander

28 Horseradish

29 Lavender

30 Lemon Balm

31 Lemongrass

32 Mint

33 Oregano

34 Parsley

35 Rosemary

36 Sage

37 Sorrel

38 Tarragon

39 Thyme

40 Planting a Herb Pot

41 Drying Herbs

42 Infused Oil

43 Herbal Tea

44 Creamed Horseradish

45 Mint Sauce

VEGETABLESINTRODUCTION

Growing vegetables at home is easy and rewarding as long as you choose the best time to plant the right crops. Some require a little TLC while others will happily look after themselves.

You don’t need to tend a dedicated area in your garden as most vegetables will thrive next to flowers or in containers on balconies or windowsills. Most species will also grow alongside herbs in a plot or on an allotment.

Growing your own is cheaper than buying vegetables from a supermarket, and you know how each plant has been cared for. You can grow anything from pumpkin to chilli, and from cucumber to spring onions.

You then have the freedom to create exciting dishes using the vegetables as a base. You can even pickle them or turn them into long-lasting chutney.

ASPARAGUS

HISTORY

Asparagus is a herbaceous perennial vegetable that was native across Western Europe from Spain to Ireland. It has been eaten for thousands of years, and a recipe survives from the oldest cookbook yet discovered: Apicius’s De Re Coquinaria from the third century AD.

GROWING

Asparagus should be planted in a weed-free bed in generous sun. It can be grown from seeds but it’s easier to embed year-old dormant plants from crowns. Dig a trench around 30cm (a foot) wide and 20cm (eight inches) deep and work in a bucket of compost per square metre. Then make a low ridge and pop the crowns in the top. They grow best in well-drained soil with a neutral pH. You should leave the plants until the third year before harvesting from April onwards. As it requires a fair amount of space, asparagus isn’t suitable for growing in pots.

USING

The young shoots taste best and are a good source of vitamins B, C, E and K, as well as dietary fibre and iron. Asparagus can be boiled, roasted, stir-fried or even eaten raw in a salad. It is also popular with salmon in a quiche, with shredded chicken in soups, or pan-fried with goat’s cheese and beetroot.

BEETROOT

HISTORY

Beetroot is particularly popular in Eastern Europe, where it is used to make soup (borscht), and in India where it is cooked with spices and served as a side dish. It was used as far back as the Middle Ages to treat digestive problems, and more recent research suggests the juice can lower blood pressure.

GROWING

It’s easy to grow beetroot in the garden. It prefers fertile well-drained soil with compost and a little fertilizer. They should be planted every 10cm (four inches) and need to be watered every couple of weeks in dry spells. When they reach the size of a golf ball, harvest alternate plants to have raw with salads. Leave the rest to reach maturity and harvest when they are the size of a tennis ball. Beetroot can also be grown in containers.

USING

The vegetable works well when boiled and pickled but it can also be roasted, served as leaves in a salad or pureed to make a smoothie. Beetroot is extremely nutritious and is good source of folic acid (vitamin B) and manganese. It works well with goat’s cheese and can be added to a beef patty to make an Aussie burger.

BROCCOLI

HISTORY

Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family that was extremely popular in ancient Italian cooking. It wasn’t brought to England until the 1750s and was still rare in the US at the beginning of the 20th century. It looks rather like a small tree with its large green flower heads. The stalks can be quite tough but the sprigs are soft and tender.

GROWING

Broccoli grows quickly and easily in fertile, well-drained soil. It can be started off indoors and then transplanted into the garden, although it prefers cooler summers between 18 and 23 Celsius (64-73 Fahrenheit). It should be harvested before the flowers on the head turn yellow and bloom. Cabbageworms, aphids, caterpillars and whiteflies target it so pesticides may be used to protect the plants. High-nitrogen fertilizers should also be applied to help it grow.

USING

Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins C, K and B and is low in carbohydrate and fat. Boiling the vegetable quickly reduces its nutritional value but steaming, microwaving and stir-frying preserve the nutrients in this super-food. It is best enjoyed with traditional roast dinners, with cauliflower in a cheese sauce, or with Chinese vegetables.

CABBAGE

HISTORY

Cabbage is a leafy green, white or purple vegetable that is similar to cauliflower and broccoli. It has been eaten in Europe for 3,000 years, although the greener, softer Savoy cabbage wasn’t developed until the Middle Ages. Most of the world’s cabbage is now grown in China.

GROWING

Young plants should be placed in moist holes between 30 and 45cm (12-18 inches) apart in early spring. Keep them watered every 10 days in drier spells and add high-nitrogen fertilizer. They can grow up to several kilos, so harvest them by cutting through the stem just above ground level. Cut a 1cm (½ inch) cross in the stump and you’ll be able to grow a second crop of smaller cabbages.

USING