Grow your own edible garden
Once upon a time, most people grew their own food – and we are starting to see those times slowly come back. There is just something hugely satisfying about eating a fruit, vegetable, herb or flower that you yourself grew from the ground. It’s good for the environment. It’s good for your wallet. But above all else, it is good for the soul.
Here are our top seven tips for making your own edible garden – and making the most of it in your NEFF kitchen.
Plant what you’ll eat
The most important consideration when planting an edible garden, might also be the most overlooked. There’s not much point in planting a whole heap of chillies if someone in your family doesn’t like spice. But there’s a lot to be gained from planting tomatoes, basil and maybe an olive tree if your family loves pizza and pasta.
Don’t get too ambitious
Planting an edible garden, it ought to go without saying, tends to require a little more effort than just putting seeds in a hole. You need to think very carefully about what sorts of plants will be likely to thrive in your garden, given the kind of soil, sunlight and shelter that you have at your disposal (not to mention, the season you’re planting in).
And think hard about just how much time (and expertise) you will be able to devote in the future to tasks like watering, fertilising, pruning and mulching. Do you want to just ‘set and forget’? Then celery, cauliflower and eggplant probably won’t be the right choice for you. All three require more than a little maintenance.
While it’s always worth talking to neighbours and local nurseries about what sorts of plants tend to thrive in your area, a good rule of (green) thumb for beginners is that herbs are good ‘starter’ plants, in that they’re all reasonably hardy. The same goes for perennials (fruits and veggies which live for over two years) – a category which includes asparagus, avocados, and rocket.
Plant for the season
Not all fruit and vegetables grow year-round. And when it comes to planting your own garden, it’s important to consider the climate of the season you’re heading into. For example, leafy greens like spinach and silverbeet love the cooler weather so are perfect for planting in many Australian states during the autumn and winter months. Meanwhile tomatoes love the warmth, so are best planted in summer.
Repurpose your everyday containers
If you only have a small yard, or just a porch, deck or balcony, don’t despair, you can still have a great garden; it will just need to be one that grows out of containers. You don’t even have to buy them: some old laundry tubs or a wheelbarrow will do (so long as you add a few holes). While limited soil will limit their utility for veggies which require a lot of root space, containers have the advantage of being far less vulnerable to weeds and pests, and are able to be moved out of the wind or into the sun.
Don’t think that they just have to stay outside, either. Carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and chillies are all veggies that can thrive indoors, so long as they’re near a sunny window.
Learn how to preserve food
Not only can an edible garden provide all the fruit and veggies you might need, it can sometimes provide even more. Excessive harvests are extremely common. A ‘swaps’ system with fellow edible gardeners can come in handy here, but a better idea still is to learn how to make jams, relishes, chutneys and pickles, or soups that you have space to freeze.
Check out this article on how to preserve chillies, or research way to freeze-dry, ferment and make chilli oil.
Don’t overplant
If you have a huge backyard, then you have a huge array of options – but it can be easy to forget just how big some plants can grow. Fruit trees, in particular, require a great deal of root space, and cast a long shadow, while certain vines (like, say, passionfruit) can all too quickly colonise a whole fence.
Capitalise on your work in the kitchen
You’ve put time, love and care into growing this food. So don’t take shortcuts when the time comes to cook it.
A great vegetable soup, for example, can include just about anything – from beans, potatoes, and carrots to a touch of spice – but a judicious use of stock is non-negotiable. A NEFF induction cooktop can come in handy here. With TwistPadFire®, it makes cooking on your induction cooktop effortless and enhances the cooking experience with more precise settings.
Roast veggies may be an old-fashioned staple, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be made in new ways. The NEFF multi-level CircoTherm® oven function lets you cook at simultaneous different temperatures, which means you can put can cook your vegetable sides at the same time as your main (and even your dessert). Say goodbye to rotating your oven trays.
Enjoy!
Now that your garden is ready to eat, why not try out one of these delicious recipes?
Beluga lentil salad with glazed carrots
If you’ve harvested your first crop of carrots and are wondering what to do with them, look no further than this beluga lentil salad with glazed carrots.
With a crunchy bed of lentils and a sticky balsamic glaze, this side dish will easily become the main attraction.
When your spinach crop starts growing, it can be hard to know what to do with it! Our tasty green pasta is a great way to use up those leafy greens in a simple but delicious way.
Enjoy a creamy blend of ricotta and spinach, topped with almonds for extra crunch.
Oven baked zucchini, pea and feta fritters
Fritters are an all-time favourite. And whether you’re baking them breakfast, lunch or tea this recipe is the perfect way to use up your zucchini and pea collection.
With tastes of dill and feta and topped with a tangy yogurt sauce, you really can’t go wrong.
Moroccan roasted vegetable and chicken soup
It’s hearty, packed with spice and can be made with a haul from your garden! Chuck in carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin and onion to make this warming Moroccan roast vegetable soup, then top with thinly slice chicken for extra substance. Yum!
This one is for the vegetarian (and non-vegetarian!) foodies. Enjoy all the flavours of the roasted zaatar spices, served with hummus and pomegranate. We think it will become your new go-to comfort food!
You can attend a free NEFF demonstration near you to learn more about the full range of NEFF products and see these in person for yourself to best understand how they can bring your dream kitchen to life.
About NEFF
NEFF is a German-engineered kitchen appliance brand, with a product range that includes ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, coffee machines and dishwashers designed to make life in the kitchen a daily pleasure. For people who love to cook, NEFF gives you the tools to create meaningful connections, express your creativity and make memories. Because real life happens in the kitchen.
Learn more about NEFF here.