Little Veggie Patch February 2014

FOOD FUN SOUL SUN GREEN GROW FEBRUARY 2014february fun In THE PATCHSugo-licious ! yoIuTrt’sotoTpmiimcske! D.I.Y guide to making your own sugo + what else to harvest+ lots more

Welcome to February Contentsin the patch D.I.Y Sugo..............................3We hope you had a well earned What to plant in Feb..............8break and enjoyed lots of good Harvest time..........................9times with family and friends In the Kitchen........................10over the christmas period. Pickled FennelAs we all settle back into therythym of life, take a moment to 1 Minute Skills......................11reflect on what your would like toachieve in the garden this year. MulchingIt may be something small liketaking better care of your plantsor perhaps there is a largerproject you are ready to getstuck into.Whatever it is, February is theperfect month to start planningyour green thumbs - check out ourvideo’s online or pop in for achat if you need a littleinspiration.February is also the month formaking sugo - when tomatoes are attheir ripest and ready to be turned+ bottled into a delicious sauce.We show you how to make your veryown in this issue as well as plentyof other tips to ease you back intothe gardening year.Until next month,Mat + Fab

D.I.Y guide to fun + tomatoes 3

D.I.Y twhaetcvhideo Sugo day is the Christmas of the edible gardening calendar and like Christmas it is something that builds well before the actual event. The key to enjoying the day to the fullest is in the preparation – drinking beer to vacate the bottles, knowing the best source of saucing tomatoes and when to time your run, and of course, having a Nonna on hand to set the scene and the mood. 1. make a day of it Years ago we started the day well before the crack of dawn - more as showmanship of toughness than out of necessity - however these days we make a full day of it starting at a leisurely hour. Not only does this give the youngsters a chance of seeing the process but it also pulls drinking hour closer to the action and this is victory for all involved. 2. THE star INGREDIENT The key to good Sugo is good saucing tomatoes and when the time is right the wise guys move in on street corners flogging ripe romas by the Styrofoam box load. Any self respecting saucer should pay no more than $1 per kilo and the trick is to look with your nose; the tomatoes should be on the point of fermentation, bringing the sugars to the fore that in the end will create the best sauce. Roma tomatoes are renown for their pulp content and if all goes to plan you will achieve a 75-80% yield, meaning that one kilo will produce one Australian longneck of red nectar. This should give you an idea of what kind of drinking habit is required leading into the event.

Sugo day is the Christmasof the edible gardeningcalendar + like Christmasit is something that builds well before the actual event.

D.I.Y 3. CHOOSE YOUR LEADER When it comes down to the crunch, someone will need to stand up and take leadership throughout the day. Bottles need to be sterile, an array of pots and pans should be on hand, ready for action and the process needs to be seen out – start to finish. One year when we all had a little too much Rose we forget to boil after bottling and over the coming months Sugo could be heard exploding throughout the cellar. So before you begin, look around the room, nominate a leader of man and woman and stick to the strategy. 4. KEEP IT SIMPLE! Otherwise keep it simple – your sauce should be a true representation of the produce. Other than a tickle of salt and basil, the flavouring of a Sunday night Ragu happens on that day, not this one. There is nothing worse than an overcomplicated Sugo, so keep your sauce pure, cap the amount of Rose Nonna can consume and confusion will be kept to a minimum.

Any self respectingsaucer should pay nomore than $1 per kilo.The trick is to look withyour nose - the tomatoesshould be on the point offermentation..... 7

What to plantFEBRUARYCool/mountainous Tropical Beetroot Beans Bok Choi/Pak Choi Beetroot Carrot Bok Choi/Pak Choi Chilli Capsicum Herbs (all) Chilli Lettuce Cucumber Rocket Eggplant Radish Herbs (all except Silverbeet coriander & dill) Spinach Lettuce Spring onion Radish Strawberry Rocket Spring onionTemperate Squash Strawberry Beans Sweet corn Beetroot Bok Choi/Pak Choi Carrot Herbs (all except coriander) Lettuce Rocket Radish Silverbeet Spring onion StrawberrySub tropical = seedling 8 = seed Beans Beetroot Bok Choi/Pak Choi Capsicum Chilli Cucumber Eggplant Herbs (all except coriander & dill) Lettuce Pumpkin Rocket Radish Silverbeet Spring onion Squash Strawberry Sweet corn Zucchini

What to harvest february Basil (If you’ve planted a few Carrot bushes and now wondering what to do with all the the produce, you’re not alone. Roasted, souped, pied, curried or stuffed. Anything a zucchini Mustard greens can do....) Squash (Our hearts become fuller Beans with ripe tomatoes on the Lettucebushes and this is the time Strawberry of year when we are most loving. Sweet and sugarywhen flavoured on the vine,plan a harvest for homemade Sugo and make a Sunday of it.) Tomato (Most commonly picked for Sweet corn its flowers, try taking Nasturtium the youngest, most tender leaves for a soup or garnish, delicious.)

recipepickled fennelPickled Fennel has a mild - 3kg fennel ffiniely slicedaniseed flavour and a lovely - 1kg red onion ffiniely slicedcrunch which goes very well - 2tbsp salt with smoked fish and cheese - 1.5 kg white sugaras part of an antipasto - 1.5 lit white wine vinegarplate. - 1tbsp fennel seed - 1tbsp celery salt It can also be added to sour - 3 long red chillies ffinicream, mayo and capers for afancy coleslaw dressing. ffiniely slicedFinely slice the fennel and onion and place in alarge colander, sprinkling each layer with some ofthe salt. Leave over a bowl overnight. This saltingprocess not only draws water out of the vegetables,it gives it a lovely crunchiness.To make the pickling mixture, add the remainder ofthe ingredients and bring to the boil.Simmer for about 10 minutes.Add the fennel and onion and bring to the boil againand simmer for a further 10-20 minute, depending onthe desired end texture. Jar.Note: This recipe works well with just onion andit’s quite fun to play around with the spices eg.Coriander seed and black mustard seed or caraway andcloves. 10

mulching is 1 minute skillsone of those mulchgardeningsilver bullets Just like Google, mulch is one of those rare noun/verbs thatthat ticks all forever changes and redefines cultures and civilizations.of the boxes From lucerne to pulverized sugar cane, pine needles to grass, pea straw to wood chips; mulching is one of those gardening silver bullets that ticks all of the boxes. It helps regulate soil temperature, keeps in moisture, suppresses weeds, and as mulch breaks down it provides valuable food to your patch. There are two key points to understanding mulch. 1. Don’t smother your seedlings. That means let seedlings grow to a respectable size (let’s say 10cm) before laying it on thick. 2. Lay it on thick. We like to use the scientific hand measurement system. Anywhere between the 2nd or 3rd knuckle should do the trick. If plants are a little small and you’re feeling dexteress, start with less mulch and then add bit more as they grow.

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