And yes, veggies can definitely be gourmet!
There are plenty of autumn and winter veggies to choose from. Think of the lime-green cauliflower 'Romanesco' that looks as ornate as a Papal sceptre, the jewel-like red-and-gold beetroot, the heavily veined Savoy cabbage or the crisp red-and-white leaves of radicchio.
Brussels sprouts may not be on everyone's list of gourmet vegetables, but freshly cooked spouts have the most delectable nutty flavour, especially when enhanced with a dab of butter. Kohlrabi is another unusual vegetable that is approached with caution because we never quite know what to do with it!
Purple broccoli is a royal colour, while Broccoli Raap 'Spring Rapini' is a sprouting broccoli with many side shoots but no central head, and many small, tasty leaves that are more like those of mustard.
These days, carrots come in so many colours, a veritable rainbow blend of red, purple, orange, yellow and white, that we dare not exclude them.
The common denominator of the above is that all are heirloom veggies, with a pedigree of centuries. There is a certain thrill in growing a vegetable with an ancestral lineage longer than your own, or veggies that come from a region endowed with romance.
All these vegetables can be sown in April, with the brassicas, especially Brussels sprouts, getting into the ground as early as possible.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2022-Ausgabe von The Gardener.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2022-Ausgabe von The Gardener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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FIRE AND Feathers!
On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!
GET THE ladies in!
At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.
Pretty and functional
If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.
Dried Seedheads & Pods
Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...
What makes a garden sustainable?
It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.