Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn/Winter 2022 i Grow to Eat

I’m not sure how you felt about this past summer, but where we live in KwaZulu-Natal it barely existed! I kept expecting to wake up to steaming roads and wilted children, and to go to sleep with fans swirling tepid air around a sweltering bedroom, but it just never happened. Even the storms were conspicuous by their absence – I can remember a few stormy afternoons and not much else. The rain, though – we certainly got our share of summer rains! The end result was weather we just couldn’t bank on, which is why we’re looking forward to the (hopefully) more predictable, stable weather of autumn and winter. There is still so much to do in the garden in the cold months ahead, getting beds ready and planting up…

Sow this month Broad beans, beetroot, carrots, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, radishes, spinach and Swiss chard, turnips WHAT DID I SOW? Plant veggies in pots for growing in a warm, sheltered area. Keep harvesting fruiting crops to keep up production. Give lemon trees another feed with a balanced granular fertiliser. Water as early as possible in the morning so that the leaves are dry by evening. Easy Autumn Tasks Grow broad beans as an easy, pest-free winter crop. Beans sown in April or May will produce their first pods from July. This crop likes well-composted soil, full sun and shelter from the wind. Sow in situ, spacing plants 30cm apart. Harvest pods when they have filled out. Tip: Place hay under pumpkins to prevent rot caused by damp soil. Harvested…

What to sow Garden peas, cabbage (sow indoors), lettuce, parsnips, radishes, Swiss chard, tomatoes (sow indoors), turnips WHAT DID I SOW? Feed leafy vegetables with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser. Stake up Brussels sprouts, kale and broad beans. Water as early as possible so leaves dry out by evening. Keep soil moist but not soggy. Plant out asparagus crowns. Order seed potatoes now for planting in August and September. Easy Winter Tasks Move your veggie growing indoors this month by experimenting with crunchy sprouts or microgreens that can be started in seed trays indoors on heating pads. Tip: Winter is a good time to fix broken fences Tip: herbs grown on windowsills are easy to pick Divide and replant thick clumps of rhubarb. CHECKBOX Protect tender veggies, like lettuce, with frost cloth…

With plant-based diets now a popular choice for many people, the humble cauliflower has become an exciting addition to mealtimes. Cauliflower smothered in a cheesy white sauce has given way to this versatile vegetable being served raw on a crudité platter, pulsed finely as a rice alternative, curried, roasted, or served in a variety of pasta and salad dishes. Requirements The cauliflower is part of the Brassicaceae family and is mostly grown as a winter crop. Like its cousin, the broccoli, it is a heavy feeder, requiring soil that has been enriched with quality compost, ideally containing some well-rotted kraal manure. Cauliflowers enjoy full sun and are mostly frost tolerant. They prefer the cooler months where lower temperatures enable them to set their tight heads of white florets. Some varieties…

Asteamy bowl of soup with freshly baked bread is sublime on a cold wintery day. There are many choices to make when it comes to deciding what soup and what bread to make, some easy and some a bit more complicated, and there are some winners out there from different cultures too. We have gathered some new things to try and get excited about. Mushroom cappuccino Once of the easiest recipes you can make if you like mushrooms, that is still really tasty. Buy the freshest mushrooms you can get and cook up a cappuccino version. This is also a perfect soup for a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party served in a teacup. 1kg fresh mushrooms – any kind will do, but brown mushrooms will give a good flavour.2 tablespoons butter2…

If you know nothing about kumquats you might think that they’re just stunted or dwarf oranges. You might have seen them in a pot somewhere and thought them no more than a curiosity – a small tree planted for novelty factor alone. Well, you would be wrong on every count. We’ve mentioned before that all citrus varieties stem from just three species (or four – scientists don’t all agree on this), and that just 3000 years ago they were all too acidic and sour to eat. It’s hard to believe that these few species evolved into the countless lemon, lime, orange, mandarin, grapefruit, and and and, varieties, especially when you look at a massive grapefruit alongside a tiny kumquat. Scientifically, the kumquat is known as Citrus japonica (formerly Fortunella japonica),…

There are few things as beautiful as watching the seasons change, especially during autumn. Leaves decorate our gardens with their copper-red splendour, swirling to the ground and forming lush tapestries of coloured patches. This is a gift from the trees at a time when our lawns receive their last cut and the gardens slowly go to sleep. The last summer veggies get pulled out and surpluses get chopped up, frozen or pickled. But for some gardeners, this is the busy season as they prepare for the colder months, including applying that all-important layer of mulch. That’s a broad if accurate definition, but it’s important to remember that not all mulches are equal. Mulch can be placed in two categories: organic (all previously living materials, like leaves, straw, hay, grass clippings…

Yes, you can grow your vegetables in winter and continue to enjoy fresh, tasteful, health-giving organic salads and vegetables, without air miles and straight from your garden. Where and what to plant? If you have a very sheltered area, like a warm walled courtyard, a sunny patio or a greenhouse, you can grow some summer varieties, but if you are growing outside in an open space, stick to winter varieties. Order seasonal varieties online www.soughtafterseedlings.co.za. Seeds or seedlings? Both are good, just remember to succession plant. As much sunshine as possible is a prerequisite to vegetable growing: be aware of shade from buildings or trees, and remember that because the winter sun is lower in the sky, sunlight hours are shorter than in summer. Prepare your soil Sufficient preparation results…

“I love making food for friends and family.” Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal, isn’t an easy place to garden. The summers are hot and quite wet, but it’s the very cold and harsh winters that make it a real challenge. Because of this, we are always amazed when we visit the area to see just how many gardeners manage to create beautiful gardens, and veggie gardens that provide for their needs for most of the year. Paula Hein has always grown her own veggies, and when her children were younger they also had their own veggie gardens where they had fun growing giant sunflowers and mealies. Things changed a few years ago, though, when the family home was renovated and part of the alterations included new garages. “I didn’t want to look out…

Sow this month Broad beans, kohlrabi, onions, radishes WHAT DID I SOW? Plant out cool-season vegetable seedlings for spring harvest, especially in the warmer climates where later plantings perform better than early crops. Stake green peas as they grow to maturity. Young trees of certain sub-tropical fruits (avocado, mango, litchi) need protection from winter frost in marginal growing climates. Lettuces grow particularly well during winter in the warmer climates. Sow seeds or plant out seedlings now. Easy Autumn Tasks Keep beds moist but not too wet. Do not over water because cold, wet soil encourages damping off. However, drought-stressed lettuce develops a bitter taste. The best time to water is in the morning. Tip: Bottle up pasta and tomato sauces for winter soups and stews Oregano will survive most winters…

Sow this month Bush and runner beans, beetroot, brinjals (start indoors), cabbage, capsicums (start indoors), carrots, lettuce, garden peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes (sow indoors), turnips WHAT DID I SOW? Dry the leaves of bay plants immediately after picking without exposing them to sunlight. Lay the leaves on a drying frame or paper in a cool, dry room. When the leaves are crisp (after about 3 weeks) they can be stored in a paper bag or sealed container. Dried leaves start to lose their flavour after a year. Water early to allow the soil to dry by evening. Soil should be consistently moist but not soaked. Sow lettuce in trays every two weeks for a continuous supply throughout the growing season. Transplant into the garden when plants are…

Make your garden a colourful tribute to the season by planting red autumn vegetables. These veggies offer the best of both worlds in your garden and kitchen through their looks and taste. Pair a few together for a red spectacle or dot them around your garden for occasional pops of colour. Rhubarb If you’re looking for a long-lasting colourful vegetable that will give you almost no problems in the garden, rhubarb is your answer. Since it is not common in the kitchen, rhubarb doesn’t have the best reputation, but it is the ideal plant for veggie garden beginners. The thick, bright red stems are easy to spot in the garden and add a punch of intensity to spring dishes. While technically a vegetable, rhubarb is usually eaten as a fruit…

I first heard about Coffea racemosa (which I will simply call racemosa from now on) from a journalist friend who wanders our country in search of stories and friendships. She had spotted it at a farm stall in Zululand and, being her, had also managed to scoop a seedling that she was nurturing to maturity in a rooftop garden on the Durban beachfront. Racemosa is one of the 120-plus Coffea species, as are the very famous (and some would say essential for modern life) C. canephora (also known as C. robusta) and C. arabica, from which almost all commercial coffee comes. Canephora is indigenous to western and central Africa, from Angola up to Tanzania and across to Liberia, while arabica originally comes from Ethiopia but was first cultivated in Yemen,…

We miss out on some really good warm wintery cocktails that are usually served in the Northern Hemisphere at Christmas time, when you sometimes need a hot, boozy restorative. As we head towards our winter months, why not try some of these classics? Eggnog One Christmas tradition is eggnog, also known as an egg milk punch. It is rumoured that eggnog originated in Medieval times, when a hot milk drink was curdled with wine or beer and flavoured with spices to used as a cold and flu remedy, much like a hot toddy. I think a hot toddy with fresh lemon, ginger and honey has a better chance of improving cold and flu symptoms than eggnog, which will probably just make you forget you have symptoms! Whatever you use it…

Wood blewit (Clitocybe nuda) Strolling through the Overberg on early frosty mornings as winter is coming to an end makes for interesting foraging, as edible landscapes emerge in various ecosystems that surround one another. If you wander along the riverbeds, which are hedged by invasive lantana, thorned rose bushes and wild cape brambles coming into fruit, you may come across these beautiful lilac mushrooms that are peaking their caps through the fallen leaves of generally white oak or hardwood trees – the Smurfs of the forest, as my children call them. This mushroom is called the wood blewit. They form in highly prized clusters, should you have the correct conditions for it to fruit. Key indicators of this mushroom are its lilac blue caps that brown with age, and a…

Tools: Jigsaw, tape measure, pencil, paint brush, cordless drill and driver bit You need: A wooden window – we upcycled one that measures 1450m x 510mm. (Obviously you will need to adjust your measurements to the window that you use.) 12mm plywood cut to the following dimensions: 1 x 1490mm x 495mm (base) 2 x 500mm x 475mm (sides) 1 x 1490mm x 300mm (front) 1 x 1490mm x 500 (back) 2 x 475mm x 30mm x 30mm (cleats) 2 x 220mm x 30mm x 30mm (cleats) 2 x 420mm x 30mm x 30mm (cleats) A pack of 35mm wood screws 2 x hinges Paint or EcoWood wood sealer STEPS 1. Cut all the plywood to size. The two sides need to taper from 500mm at the back to 300mm…

Sow this month Beetroot, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, radishes, spinach and Swiss chard, turnips WHAT DID I SOW? Pull out spent vegetables and renew the soil with compost for autumn crops. Cut back flowering herbs to encourage new growth. Plant rose-scented geranium as a fastgrowing perennial with highly rose-fragranced leaves and bearing small mauve flowers in summer. Plants grow in full sun orsemi-shade. Use the leaves in a strong infusion to flavour sauces, custards, jellies and ice lollies. Sow cool-season herbs like chives, garlic chives, calendula and rocket. Easy Autumn Tasks Prepare beds for strawberries by digging down a spade’s depth and incorporating organic material and well-rotted manure. Strawberries can also be grown successfully in containers and hanging baskets – use a…

Sow this month Broad beans, celery, garden peas, radishes, turnips WHAT DID I SOW? Make a list of vegetables you eat each season and how often you would like to eat them. The maximum is probably three portions per vegetable per week, but in some cases it could be less, such as carrots, or more, in the case of tomatoes. Finalise your planting plan and take it into the garden and check it against reality, adjusting as necessary. Remember to leave space for succession planting. Check your cabbages, and other brassicas for cabbage worms and slugs. Repel slugs with the organic snail bait Ferramol. Use an organic pesticide or Margaret Roberts Biological Caterpillar Insecticide for the worms. Easy Winter Tasks Prepare beds for planting garden peas next month. Dig a…

I wonder how many people have ever thought of how we would survive if the zombie apocalypse arrived and we had to grow our own food. Or is it just me? Without getting into too much detail about how long we can survive without food and how many veggie seeds we would manage to pack before fleeing, we decided to explore the fastest-growing veggies that every survivalist should pack in their seed-stash. RADISHES – 21 days Radishes are well known for their rapid growth, going from sowing seed to eating in 20 – 25 days. Seed will germinate in just 5 - 10 days, depending on the variety. Plant radishes in spring and autumn for the best results. Although they can be grown at any time of the year, the…

It’s full steam ahead for sowing and planting out autumn and winter vegetables. Most winter veggies are full of vitamins, especially C and A, which strengthen the immune system, as well as fibre for good gut health. But did you know that as soon as veggies are harvested, their vitamin and nutrient content starts to decline? Homegrown veggies that are picked and eaten in a short space of time are much healthier than shop-bought veggies. Vegetable seed to sow in autumn: Root vegetables: beetroot, carrots, parsnips, radishes, turnips Greens: cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, spinach, Swiss chard Salad greens: celery, lettuce, spring onions Legumes: broad beans, garden peas (in warmer areas) Some advice to gardeners sowing from seed: Good soil is vital, so prepare the soil in advance. As seeds germinate better…

Most of the vegetables that we grow come from other parts of the world, but if we do a little investigation we will find all sorts of interesting African edible plants. Some of them are indigenous species, while others are heirloom varieties created here. We plan on highlighting these fascinating (and often tasty!) plants, which are becoming more readily available. First up, the unique horned cucumber… The horned cucumber (Cucumis metuliferus) is a fascinating plant with a long list of nom de guerre: African horned cucumber, wild cucumber, horned melon, spiked melon, jelly melon, kiwano and, my favourite, the cuke-a-saurus. They have been cultivated for over 3000 years for the edible fruit and their appearance. A point that we should all remember, even if it is obvious, is that an…

I have an untidy garden – it’s a collection of plants growing for the most part where fate let their seeds fall. There is always a bok choy or a mustard, onion, endive, amaranth, lettuce, rocket, lettuce, carrot, beetroot or something flowering – the bees love them, and I love the free seeds that will turn into free plants and more veggies and flowers. Sometimes I even harvest the seeds for my own use in the kitchen. Here’s how I harvest and use mustard seeds: Wait until the mustard plant bolts, sending up long stalk with pretty yellow flowers that the bees get buzzing for. The flowers will wither away quite quickly, and in their place will form cylindrical seed pods with a pointy end. These will be packed with…

When we heard of a course being run that was titled, ‘Farming God’s Way’, we just had to find out more. It turns out that no matter your faith, or lack of it, there are principles used in this course that can help you, your garden, your kitchen and your health. We recently sat down with Sarah Colle, a FGW trainer based in KwaZulu-Natal, to find out more about this interesting proposition. “I grew up in a farming background but I trained as a chef,” says Sarah, “so food and where food comes from are totally my jam!” When Sarah and her family moved to Camp Orchards, a farm that wasn’t agriculturally operational, they decided they wanted to get it up and running again. “I went on just a threeday…

Rocket is known for its spicy peppery punch. If you’re a fan of that intense flavour, you’re bound to love wild rocket, a leafy plant that is even spicier, and often easier to grow, than traditional rocket. Also known as perennial wall rocket, Diplotaxis tenuifolia is a member of the mustard family native to Europe and Western Asia. Due to its ease of growth and self-seeding nature, it has naturalised in temperate areas around the world and remains a popular garden plant for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. Wild rocket reaches around 50cm in height, with long delicious leaves extending from branching stems. They produce cute little yellow flowers that tower over the foliage and add a pop of colour to your leafy vegetable beds. The spicy taste of the…