There's another theory and it's that hot weather acts as a natural appetite suppressant while spicy food acts as an appetite stimulant.
Doesn't that sound like South Africa? We love our food and we love it spicy. Thanks to our climate we can grow hot, peppery or mustardy veggies and herbs almost all year round. In other words, veggies and herbs that tingle the taste buds.
Autumn harvest
Right now, its harvest time for chillies that were planted in September and October. They can be preserved by drying (especially cayenne peppers), freezing whole or puréed (in a blender), pickling, cooked up into sauces and salsas or preserved in oil.
Recipe
Pickled green chilli is delicious added to sandwiches or chopped and mixed into salads (think tuna) and salsa. Combine half a cup vinegar, half a cup sugar and spices (dill seed, mustard seed, salt), and 8 to 10 green chillies cut in strips in a pan and simmer over a low heat for five minutes. Put the mixture into small, sterilised jars, cover with the liquid and add some garlic to each jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3 days before using (from food gardener Di-Di Hoffman).
Herb with a kick
Later in autumn or early winter, when horseradish plants die down, harvest the roots to make the hot, piquant horseradish sauce that's served with roast meat, sushi, or added to vegetables that need a kick. Horseradish sauce can be used instead of wasabi, which gives an indication of its heat!
Recipe
To make horseradish sauce, peel and finely grate horseradish root (2 tablespoons) and mix it with half a cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, salt and pepper to taste. Let it stand for an hour before serving or refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av The Gardener.
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Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av The Gardener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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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.