DECEMBER, January and February RECIPES AND TIPS FOR GROWING

Ingredients:

• Kale (lacinato or curly), chopped
• Apple (Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith), thinly sliced
• Celery, thinly sliced
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Pecans
• Dried cranberries
• Feta

Quick dressing

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple-cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Pinch of salt & pepper

Directions

1. Massage chopped kale with a drizzle of olive oil and salt until tender.
2. Add apple slices and celery.
3. Toss with dressing.
4. Add nuts and cheese 

You could sub in local shagbark hickory nuts for the pecans.

Easy sauteed kale: generous amount of good quality olive oil (couple Tbsp) in large fry pan or wok. Slice 3 or 4 garlic cloves thinly and sautee those until fragrant and getting soft. then add coarsely chopped head of kale (take the thick stems out). 

Salt generously, and put lid on. cooker over med-low heat until vibrant green. Serve over pasta (alfredo style or mac and cheese would be good). The Indian inspired version just adds cumin seeds before the garlic. 

Could add a dried chili pepper too. Good side dish with curry and rice.  

 Ingredients:

• 4 large leeks, about 2½ pounds, white and light green parts only
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes or yellow potatoes, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 6 cups Leek Top Broth (below) or vegetable broth
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs, bundled
• 1 cup milk or heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional
• Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

• 4 large leeks, about 2½ pounds, dark green tops only
• 12 cups water
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

This recipe is from Love and Lemons, read the instructions here: 

Potato Leek Soup

Before you begin to grow your own food, pay attention to what it is that you enjoy eating as a family.

• What are the ingredients in your favourite meals?
• How often do you eat them?
• Are they food items that can be grown here in Ontario?
• Do you have the ability, space, or desire to store food or process it to store and enjoy through the off season?

Answering these questions will help you know what types of seeds or seedling vegetables you would like to buy and how many you may need to grow if you want to try and achieve growing enough to feed your family, without having to purchase from the store.

Start slow. 

If you have never gardened before, just start with a couple of your favourite vegetables. Every gardener before you has learned the hard way on some things- it is a hobby that includes learning from failure sometimes. There are many things to consider and many things that we can't always control. Don't be discouraged- learning how to prevent, prepare, and how to use best practices can be an extremely rewarding experience- which is why it often turns into a life-long hobby. 

 You can also  read more here.

How do I grow?

Potato

Leek

Onion

Garlic

Squash

Pumpkin

Herbs:

• Thyme

Microgreens