Raw Broccoli Salad is so quick and easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious. Fresh, crunchy, zingy and creamy with pops of sweet and sour. It is so vibrant and full of flavour! This salad would be perfectly paired with your favourite grilled or roasted protein. A new favourite salad to take to gatherings and shared dinners.
It is great to incorporate raw vegetables into your diet as many vitamins can be lost during the cooking process. Broccoli is a great source of fibre and protein. Plus it contains iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, and magnesium as well as the vitamins A, C, E, K, and B vitamins including folic acid. Vitamins A and C are not heat tolerant, so they will decrease during the cooking process.
Raw Broccoli Salad
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 medium Broccoli heads
1 small Shallot
3-4 baby Broccoli leaves or other *garden greens
1/4 cup chopped Cranberries
1 tbsp dried Goji Berries
1/2 cup chopped Parsley
2 small Fennel Fronds
1 Tbsp Slivered Almonds
1 small Lemon
2 medium garlic cloves
1/2 Avocado
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
2 Tbsp Coconut Yoghurt
2 Tbsp Water
Salt flakes to season
Fennel flowers and baby nasturtium leaves to garnish
Instructions
Rinse your Broccoli and chop it into small pieces. Chop the dried end of the stem (compost) and then finely dice up the stem. Add to a large serving bowl.
Drizzle on the olive oil and squeeze 1/4 of the lemon over the Broccoli. Toss to coat.
Finely slice your shallot (mandoline makes this easy!) add this on top of the Broccoli.
Slice up the baby leaves and parsley and add to the salad bowl. Squeeze over another 1/4 slice of lemon juice.
Sprinkle over the chopped Cranberries, Goji berries and slivered Almonds.
Scatter small pieces of the fennel fronds, fennel flowers, and baby nasturtiums to garnish.
Mix up the dressing in a bowl by mashing the avocado, adding 1 tsp lemon juice, minced or finely chopped garlic, finely grate in the rind of 1/2 lemon, water, coconut yoghurt and a pinch of salt. Taste and season as desired.
Drizzle over the salad and sprinkle the chilli flakes on top along with a pinch of sea salt flakes.
Notes
* baby greens can be spinach, young Broccoli or Cauliflower leaves, or similar.
Feel free to adjust to similar items you have available. All my recipes I like to incorporate what I have in my garden at the time so it is nice to be a little flexible.
Winter greens are in abundance and it is the perfect time of year to enjoy warm, nourishing soups. This garden green soup is full of greens that are only lightly cooked, so they retain as much of their nutrients as possible. This soup will make the perfect winter starter or lunch and can be made using any greens you have growing in the garden.
Nourishing Garden Green Soup
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Packed full of fresh nutritious greens from the garden, this soup is delicious served both warm and cold.
Ingredients
1 medium Brown Onion
2 cloves of Garlic
4-5 Rainbow chard leaves
10 Sweet Potato leaves
2 Broccoli or Cauliflower leaves
1 Sprig of Mint (10 leaves)
3 Sprigs of Fennel Frond leaves
2 Sprigs of Parsley (1/2 cup)
2-3 Nasturtium leaves
1 Tbsp Tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
3/4 cup Water
Instructions
1. Finely dice the onion. Add oil to a frypan on medium-low heat and cook the onion for 10 minutes or until slightly golden.
2. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in the cumin and cinnamon and stir to mix, cooking for a further 1 minute.
3. Add in the coconut milk, Tamari, and 3/4 cup of water. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Rinse your greens and remove the stems.
5. Fill a wide bowl with cold water and ice and place it beside the stove. Place a wide pan, (or wok) on medium heat with 3-4 inches of water. Heat until the water is simmering.
6. Blanch your leaves in the simmering water and then add to the iced water to cool. This will lightly cook the leaves and help them remain bright vibrant green. Do this in stages with each type of leaf. Blanch the thicker leaves such as Rainbow chard, Broccoli, Cauliflower leaves, and Sweet Potato leaves for 45 seconds. The more delicate leaves such as Mint, Nasturtium, and fennel for 20-30seconds.
7. Strain off the green from the water.
8. Blitz up the cooled onion mixture and greens in a blender or similar (stick mixer, Nutribullet).
9. Transfer the mix to a saucepan and add salt (to taste) and reheat to serve or enjoy cold.
OPTIONAL: Top with mixed seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower), edible flowers, and baby mint and nasturtium leaves. Serve with buttered Toast.
Notes
The Sweet potato and Broccoli leaves can be substituted with other garden greens you have growing in the garden such as Spinach, SilverBeet, Asian greens.
The darker the greens are in colour, the more vibrant green the soup will be.
Satay Rainbow Rolls are healthy, delicious and so easy to make! Once you master the rolls you can mix and match ingredients with what is fresh and growing in your garden. Plus, feel free to swap the halloumi for your favourite protein. These Rainbow Rolls are made using Rainbow Chard but you could also use large Beetroot leaves, Cauliflower leaves, Broccoli leaves, Spinach or even Cabbage leaves. It is important to have flexible recipes that you can make using what you have available in your garden and these rainbow rolls are definitely a versatile option for your Garden to Plate meals.
Satay Rainbow Rolls
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes
Ingredients
3 Large Rainbow Chard leaves
1 Carrot
1 cup finely chopped Red Cabbage
1 /4 of a Red Capsicum
4 Lettuce leaves
1/2 Avocado
6 Strips of Haloumi (swap for Tofu or Chicken)
Small lemon wedge
2 TBS Peanut Butter
1 tsp Tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tsp hot water
1 tsp brown sugar
Instructions
Mix peanut butter, tamari, water, and sugar in a small bowl until fully combined.
Rinse Haloumi well in water, dry off and place on a plate to coat in a tsp of the Satay Sauce. Keep the remaining sauce for the rolls.
Finely slice your cabbage. Peel and cut your carrots into fine sticks. Slice capsicum, avocado, lettuce, and any other fillings you want into small strips. Squeeze a little lemon onto the avocado to stop it from going brown.
Rinse your Rainbow chard and remove the stems (keep these in a small jar of water and add to any other meal over the next day). Carefully slice off the back ridge of the stem so that it is thinner (see example image below).
In a small pan lightly fry your halloumi until it is slightly golden. About 1minute on each side. Set aside to cool while you prepare the leaf wraps.
Place a large pan of water to simmer. The pan needs to be big enough to fit your leaves. A wok or a wide frypan works best. Place a dish of water with a few ice cubes beside the stovetop to transfer the leaves to after they have blanched. Add your leaves one at a time to the simmering water for 40secounds and then transfer to the iced water. This will soften the leaves and keep them a vibrant green colour.
Once they have cooled place them on a tea towel and carefully dry off the excess water.
Lay the leaves flat with the top facing down. Add your filling to the widest part near the base of the leaves. Ensure there is about an inch of the empty leaf down the sides. Spoon on some sauce above the filling.
Start rolling the leave from the base and then fold the left side in. Do a half roll again and add the right side. Carefully keep rolling and tucking the sides in as best you can. The bigger the leaf and the more room you have, the easier this will be. At the end, you may need to dab some water on the tip of the leaf to allow it to stick.
Preserving herbs from your garden is a great way to make the most of their abundance and store them for the winter months when many herbs will not be growing. Herbs are a great way to add flavour to any dish and once you make your own dried mixed herbs you will never want to buy them ever again!
Click below to watch
In this video I share how I pick, dry and preserve my herbs for both a dried mixed herb blend and also to make tea blends.
Why Grow Herbs?
Herbs are the easiest thing to start growing because they are hardy and less susceptible to pests. They also do not require a lot of room to grow. So you can grow herbs in pots or containers if you do not have room for a garden. It is absolutely achievable and you never know where the journey will take you.
Grow Abundant Herbs
Nature provides so much abundance when we learn to see and utilise it. Sometimes cutting your plants can spark new growth and they will continue to flourish in new directions. Young new growth is much nicer to eat than the older woody growth too. Preserving your harvests also allows you to slow down and reconnect with where your food comes from. It just feels so right to go out to the garden and pick food that you know exactly what has gone into creating it. No chemicals, pesticides, or nasty sprays.
Basil is a warm climate herb and will start to die off as the temperatures decrease. So harvesting and storing basil will mean I will be able to have it available during winter. Basil also responds so well to being cut. Especially towards the end of the season as it starts going to flower. By cutting the tops off, it will grow out thicker and will also help prolong the life of the plant.
Take Cuttings for Gifts
My rosemary is growing a little wild and has even collapsed in the middle under the weight. So I am going to take some cutting to replant and also harvest a big bunch to dry and preserve. Taking cuttings to regrow will give me new plants to gift and trade. It is always good to have some on the go for last minute gifting.
When to Harvest Herbs?
The best time of day to harvest your herbs is first thing in the morning. This is when the plants are hydrated and full of life. As the day goes on they will lose moisture and not be as fresh and vibrant. Early in the morning, the bees are not yet active. As the sun comes up and the dew drys, the bees will be about in a hive of activity. So if you do pick later in the day just be slow and cautious not stress them out and avoid getting stung.
Take time to Slow Down
Spending time in the garden harvesting and caring for your plants allows so much time to observe and learn from your garden.
To slow down and reconnect. Giving your mind time to think. Some of my most creative ideas come when I can quiet the rest of the world. Harvesting also gives such a sense of pride. That you have grown all this delicious food is so special.
How to Preserve and Dry Herbs?
To preserve these herbs I first rinse them off in the sink. Next, I separate the stems and lay the leaves out on my dehydrator trays. I put a layer of brown baking paper to stop them from falling through the tray grid. I keep and reuse the brown baking paper for future dehydrating. I then pop them in the dehydrator on the lowest temperature setting. Between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. You can also do this in the oven but just be aware it may take 5-8 hours to dry depending on the thickness of the herbs. So it is important you are home when using the oven. To air-dry your herbs, hang them upside down but make sure you have a dry and warm climate. If you live in an area with humidity I would avoid air-drying. You want the herbs to dry as fast as possible.
Dry the herbs until they feel crispy as you do not want any moisture still left in the leaves. If there is still moisture they may spoil or grow mould in the storage process.
Once they are completely dry you can pop them straight into clean, dry jars or storage containers. If you want to save room you can crush them up using a mortar and pestle. Mix some of your herbs together to make a mixed her blend ready for all your winter soups and meals.
Share and Inspire Others
These dried herbs also make great gifts. Taking gifts from your garden to friends and family is something that should become a regular ritual. They will so feel special and you will also feel joy and pride in sharing your homegrown produce. Sharing from the garden can also spark others to try to grow their own food too. You have no idea how many people can be inspired to make changes from your single action of sharing. It should be the way of the future. Because what we are doing in the world right now is not sustainable.
I hope you feel inspired to grow your own herbs at home and make your own dried mixed herbs. They are so easy to make and so vibrant and full of flavour. Nothing like the dull grey herbs you find at the supermarket.
If you have any questions leave me a comment below.
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This curried sweet potato soup is my FAVOURITE! Preparing batches of soup is a great way to have extra meals on hand in the freezer. Preparing meals ahead of time means you will have options for a quick and easy lunch or dinner and won’t be as tempted to buy takeout. Saving you money and a more eco-friendly option.
This sweet potato soup is topped with vegetable peel chips which taste amazing! So crunchy and quick to make. You can make these with any meals you are making where you want to peel the vegetables first. For this soup, you don’t need to peel the vegetables first but I like to just so I can create these crunchy chips to serve on top! A great way to get kids more excited for soups.
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour35 minutes
This hearty, winter warming soup is packed full of flavour and topped with crunchy vegetable skin chips. A great way to get the most out of your Sweet Potatoes.
Ingredients
3 Medium Sweet Potato
2 Carrots
1 Fresh Red Chilli
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Medium Onion
1 Can Organic Coconut milk or Cream (400ml)
1 tsp Coconut oil
1 TBS Curry Powder
1 TBS Tumeric Powder
1 tsp Mixed Dried Herbs
2 tsp Tamari Sauce
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius on fan bake.
Wash and peel the vegetables placing the skins in a bowl, coat with the coconut oil, and set aside. Roughly chop the Sweet Potato into 5cm Chunks. Cut the carrots lengthwise down the middle and in half across the width.
Place the chopped vegetables in a roasting dish and coat them in vegetable oil. Sprinkle on the Curry Powder, Tumeric, and mixed herbs and mix to coat.
Cook in the oven for 45-50minutes until slightly golden and easy to pierce with a fork.
While that is cooking dice up your onion and add to the frypan with 1 TBSP oil and saute until cooked. Add in the garlic and chilli and cook for a further few minutes until the garlic is slightly brown. Remove from the heat and add to a large pot.
Once the vegetables are cooked add them to the large pot along with the onion mix. Add 1/2 cup hot water to the roasting pan and use a spoon to get all the flavor off the bottom and side. Add this to the pot too.
Pour in the can of coconut milk or cream. Then add half of the can with water and stir to get the residual coconut milk from the sides. Add this to the pot too.
Add the tamari, salt, and apple cider vinegar to the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes mashing the vegetables in every now and then. Once the vegetables have all been integrated and mashed. Turn the heat off and allow it to cool slightly.
Place your vegetable skins on a baking tray and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook at 190 degrees celsius for about 5 minutes turning once halfway through. Keep an eye on them as they are so thin they will overcook easily. Remove when they are golden and slightly crispy. They will also crisp up as they cool.
Blend your soup. I like to use a stick mixer in the same pot but you could do two batches in a blender ( just be careful not to blend very hot soup or it may explode out the top!).
Add your soup to a bowl and top with the crunchy skins. I have also added basil flowers and baby sweet potato leaves to serve.
Notes
You can swap out some of the sweet Potato or Carrot for Pumpkin or Potato. To make a Thai Style soup just add a crushed lemongrass stalk in to the pot while it simmers, then remove before you blend it.
This Sweet Potato and White Chocolate Slice is so so delicious. The sweet potato makes it fudgy and the white chocolate gives it a caramel flavour with crisp and chewy edges. Sweet Potato is such a versatile plant and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes. This Sweet Potato and White Chocolate Slice is so delicious and doesn’t require any eggs or butter so can easily be made vegan. Being able to use your homegrown veggies for a wide variety of recipes will mean you need to buy fewer ingredients. I used purple sweet potato for this, which is super fun, but you can use which every variety you have growing.
Sweet Potato and White Chocolate Slice
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour30 minutes
Ingredients
1 Large Sweet Potato
1/4 cup Brown Rice Syrup (or maple syrup or agave syrup)
1/4 cup Coconut oil
1/3 Brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
1/2 cup Almond meal (or plain flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup white chocolate buttons
Instructions
Peel and cut sweet potato into small cubes (2-3cm cube)
Steam until cooked and can be pierced with a fork.
Cover and allow the sweet potato to come to room temperature (separate any liquid and keep it in a bowl to the side).
Preheat the oven to 180degrees Celcius
In a mixing bowl mash the sweet potato add 1TSP of the cooking liquid or water.
Add in the brown rice syrup, brown sugar and coconut oil. Mix to combine.
Add almond meal, sifted flour, baking powder and gently mix to combine.
Gently mix through most of the chocolate buttons leaving a few to add to the tray before baking.
Add your mix to a greased baking tray (20cmx20 or 30cm) and then add the remaining chocolate on top.
