I had homemade Garden Pesto on my (Giant) list of things to try and when I finally did… omg I will never buy pesto again! Quick, easy and so delicious!! Also, you can really just add whatever garden greens and herbs you have growing in your garden. I even use the ones with holes from bugs. Just wash and check there are no bugs before using.
Garden Pesto Recipe
2 cups of greens and herbs. I used Nasturtiums (flowers and leaves), young sweet potato leaves, basil, cauliflower leaves, kale, bokchoy, tatsoi, rainbow chard, and parsley.
1 Small garlic clove
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Splash of water
1TBS Lemon juice
Pinch of salt to season
Wash and quickly blanch the greens in boiling water for 30secs then add into iced water. This will help them keep their vibrant green colour.
Strain off and then blend all ingredients except the nuts until combined.
Then add in the nuts and blitz until mixed or chunky if you prefer. I just have NutriBullet and it’s OK, I just need to stop and mix quite a few times. A mixer would be better. Then place it in a recycled glass jar. I kept mine in the fridge and used it that week. You could freeze smaller portions in IceCube trays for later.
Mix your Garden Pesto with some pasta for a deliciously easy, low-waste meal!
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Nasturtium is in absolute abundance in my garden right now and I want to learn how to make the most of this fruitful time. I think learning how to use a plant is just as important as learning how to grow it. This month I have been exploring lots of different ways to use Nasturtium. Nasturtium mini quiches are so quick, easy, and taste delicious. Get the most out of your garden by growing things that have a multitude of uses to really help you maximise your space.
Nasturtium Mini Quiche
12 Medium – Large Nasturtium Leaves
Quiche Mix
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk or cream (i used coconut cream)
1/2 cup water
Salt and Pepper to season
Whisk Quiche mix in a bowl and set aside.
Fillings
Red onion
Feta
Spring onion
Marinated olives
Red capsicum
Parsley
Broccoli
Rainbow Chard
Grated Cheese
Finely chop your filling vegetables. I overshot how many veggies I needed. My muffin trays are on the smaller side and you don’t need much to fill them. So just chop a little bit and you can always chop more if needed. You could add any vegetables you have available these are just what I had.
Assembly
Preheat Oven to 170-180 degrees celsius.
Grease a muffin tray well with oil.
Place your Nasturtium leaves top side down.
Add your filling (except grated cheese), just a couple of pieces of each as it will soon fill up.
Using a measuring cup or jug pour your Quiche mix in and try not to fill over the top of the leaves.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake for 30mins or until the filling has been set.
Remove and allow to cool for 10mins.
Carefully remove from trays using a spoon. You may need to run a knife around the top of the cheese has stuck to the sides.
Please note my recipes are more of a guide.. ( I am not a technically accurate baker, I just wing it).
If you have plenty of Nasturtiums check out my other recipes.
You can share your version on Instagram using #sustainablehollyskitchen or tag me @sustainable_holly so I can see your beautiful creations!!
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
Planting Flowers for the Bees is high on my current list of gardening goals. Bees are such an important element in the garden and it wasn’t until I really started trying to grow my own food that I realised just how important they are! Previously, although, I knew they were important for pollination, I had mixed feelings towards bees because my dad is deadly allergic. One Bee sting will quickly send him into anaphylactic shock and growing up this was such a scary reality. Today, I continue to learn more and more about bees and I am amazed at how incredible they really are.
Trying to grow food without pollinators can be hard and sometimes impossible without intervention. If you have ever tried growing pumpkin or watermelon you will understand what I mean! It is so important that we try and look out for our bee friends and provide them with healthy, organic, pesticide-free gardens. I am constantly planting flowers for the bees and also letting things go to seed, so there is always an abundance of flowers and bees in my garden.
Having water available for the bees is also another great idea, especially in Perth’s warm climate. If you have a bird bath you can place a flat rock in it so that the bees can stop by for a drink. Below are some of the plants that I grow and the Bees love!
Top 5 Flowers for the Bees
1. Rosemary – This is my number one plant for the bees. There is always a hive of activity on my rosemary plant and I love seeing so many bees in my garden. Of course, it is a staple in the kitchen as well!
2. Borage – Bees love borage flowers and they are so pretty and edible too! They are usually blue, pink or white but often you get this fantastic tie-dye effect!
3. Lavender – is such a great fragrant addition to the garden and you can make natural perfumes, beauty products and it is also edible! Lavender is so easy to grow from cuttings so you can just cut off a stalk and plant it in other areas of your garden or pot up and give as a gift to your family and friends.
4. Sunflowers – These have to be one of my favourite flowers! The bees love them and they are an absolute show stopper in the garden. Sunflowers are also known to be soil remediators and extract any toxins in the soil.
5. Zinnia – I am new to growing zinnia but I absolutely love them! They come in so many amazing colours (even green!) and the flowers are also edible! These are now a much-loved staple in my garden. I even grew them down the side of a fence with very poor soil and they thrived.
Bonus – The other thing I do let some of my veggies go to seed. Diversity in the garden is important and you will see different types of bees like different flowers. Radish flowers for example, always attract our native Blue Banded bees which are amazing to watch! Having a diversity of plants and insects in your garden will help create a thriving ecosystem.
Take the time to slow down and observe your garden and you will start to recognise which flowers are attracting beneficial insects. You may even find some you have never seen before! Most weekends I have my morning coffee in the garden and just spend some time observing without any distractions. We are often so busy trying to do something that we lose sight of all the little things going on.
This weekend I challenge you to give it a go! Make a coffee and spend just 10 minutes or so sitting in the garden or nature and observe. And if you can plant some more Flowers for the Bees.
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
Growing edible plants in the shade is definitely possible! One of the most important factors to consider when planning your edible plants or permaculture garden is to OBSERVE your environment and analyse your sectors (wind, sun, fire, water, frost). It is number one on David Holmgren’s list of Permaculture Principles (1. Observe and Interact). Learning how these external energies behave on your specific property will make your garden design and planting so much more successful and long-lasting.
Observing where the sun and shade are throughout the year will also allow you to plan which plants or elements will grow best in each spot. Rather than finding a spare spot and planting a full sun-loving tree in an area that is 80% shaded and wondering why it doesn’t do well (been there, done that..). Gardening is a lot of trial and error, but by observing and interacting you will be able to identify what issues you have and figure out how to solve them.
I have identified areas of my garden that are mainly in shade due to our garage and neighbouring trees.
Watch my latest Video for 21 Edibles to Grow in the Shade
My Top 10 Edible Plants to Grow in the Shade:
Nasturtiums – Tropaeolum majus. If you don’t know by now these are one of my favourite plants. They thrive pretty much anywhere and are so abundant even in shaded areas. Most of the plant is edible!
Sweet Violets – Viola odorata. Sweet violets, also known as English Violets, Wood Violets or Common Violets, have cute little purple or white and purple edible flowers and make a beautiful carpeted ground cover.
Lettuce – I grow many different varieties of lettuce and they don’t seem to mind the shade. In fact in Perth, WA I find they do better in the shade.
Chives – Allium schoenoprasum. I have chives planted in the shade year-round and they do well. They add great oniony freshness to omelettes and the flowers are also edible.
Kale – Brassica oleracea var. acephala. Kale grows well in the shade due to its large leaves being able to sustain adequate energy. It does grow at a slower rate (like most plants in the shade) which I like because although I like kale it is much easier to keep up with it.
Radish – Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus. Radish are fast-growing and will do well in the shade. They are a perfect fresh accompaniment to a salad or pickled.
Asian Greens – Bokchoy, Tatsoi, Choy Sum, these are some of my favourite Asian leafy greens and they all do well in the shade or part shade.
Parsley – Petroselinum crispum. Parsley will tolerate shade and I find it grows at just the right rate for me to use without having masses going to waste.
Sweet Potato – Ipomoea batatas. Although full shade is not ideal growing conditions my Sweet Potato still does well. Slower growing but a great ground cover and still produces decent size crops.
Rocket – Eruca vesicaria ssp. sativa. Rocket does fine in the shade too and is a great addition to any salad, served with Pizza or make a delicious rocket pesto!
Overall growing edible plants in the shade will require more patience as growth rates will be slower and will often result in smaller plants. This can be a great thing though for plants that you don’t use very often or in small amounts. Less waste and they will also require a lot less water.
What edible plants do you grow in the shade? Leave me a comment below.
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
Delicious and beautiful Nasturtium Salt is a great way to add some fun and flavour to your meals. The beautifully abundant Nasturtium is back for the Autumn/ Winter season and this year I’m giving this humble plant time to shine! It is so often under-utilised and I will admit that previously I have only ever used the flowers and leaves in a salad and as a garnish. So I am on a mission to put together a series of recipes and tips to help you get the most out of your Nasturtiums.
Nasturtium Salt
Packed full of flavour, vitamin C and beneficial minerals, this Nasturtium salt is a magical addition to your pantry staples.
Ingredients:
Two cups/ handfuls of Nasturtium flowers and leaves
1 cup of Salt – I used a mix of Australian blossom salt and pink Himalayan rock salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Method:
Rinse and check Nasturtium for any bugs.
Blitz all the ingredients in a mixer, blender or NutriBullet until the leaves are all broken down.
Then spread on to a tray and dehydrate on low 30-40 degrees Celcius until completely dry. It will lighten in colour so if you break up any larger pieces and they are still dark green it needs longer. Mine took 3 hours in the dehydrator. You can use the Oven too if you do not have a Dehydrator.
Pour into a bowl or mortar and pestle and break up any larger pieces.
Place in a jar and you have a beautiful, nutrition-packed salt! I used the Pink Himalayan salt for added beneficial minerals. A mild peppery salt to enjoy on your morning eggs on toast and add a nutritious flavour boost to any cooking.
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content!
