From Soil to Table: March
By Rosemary Jeboo, a regular BCM producer
March
is an awakening of the senses and a quickening in pace to sow seeds that will
give seasonal produce for tasty meals. My garden now has perennials such as sorrel,
kale and spinach ready to cook. These
are all hardy crops which can withstand the winter and provide produce all
year. Rosemary, thyme, mint and nettle
can be grown in containers and a small cutting will produce plants which will
enhance any dish or salad.
I have sown seeds in small pots this month to
be planted out in April. These include beans (French and runner), chilli,
coriander, cucumber, lavender, tomatoes, basil, beetroot, purple sprouting
broccoli, cabbage, chard, onion and spinach. I am making do with a small plastic
greenhouse to store my pots – using clear plastic to help germination. Pots containing seeds with nasturtiums,
cornflowers, marigolds and tomatoes overflow on my windowsills in the house.
The rewards are abundant for your health and wellbeing. Flowers and companion
plants like marigolds and cornflowers are also essential for diverting the aphids
away from the vegetables and attracting the bees.
Recipe
Sorrel and leafy greens
(spinach, nettle, kale, chard) soup
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 finely chopped onions,
- 4-6 cups of
chopped sorrel, nettle, chard or spinach
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- natural yogurt
- Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and onions. Cover the
pot and cook gently for 10 minutes.
- While the onions are cooking, pour the stock into
another pot and bring to a simmer.
- Add the sorrel leaves, nettle and chard and a pinch
of salt and stir well. When the greens are mostly wilted, turn the heat up,
cover and cook 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the hot stock, and simmer
- Add yogurt
In : Gardening