Some vegetables can be tough customers, admits Caspar van Vark. But with a little imagination, you can turn a hard tuber into a fabulous seasonal dish

Not all seasons are equal. The autumn months, for example, are a happy time for the cook. There are still some late raspberries and soft purple figs to eat with goat’s cheese or cured ham. Pumpkins appear in every size and shape, and there are crisp apples bursting with juice.

There’s a certain satisfaction to eating with the rhythm of the planet and catching things at their best. But the romance of seasonal eating starts to wane a bit once autumn has turned to winter. Sit at mother nature’s table and you have to eat what she serves.

Out go the vine-ripened tomatoes and golden ears of corn – instead, we are faced with muddy celeriacs, swedes and turnips. Even the most determined seasonal eaters will feel their heart sink when they open their food box and find yet another spooky, alien-looking root vegetable.

Eat ugly food

The easiest solution is to put the kohl rabi in the bottom of the fridge, wait for it go off and then throw it away. We’ve all done it, but there’s no need – all of these winter vegetables will reward you if you make a tiny bit of effort.

Take the Jerusalem artichoke – it sounds so exotic, but it looks like ginger and is the thing you usually find rattling around in your organic box after you’ve taken everything else out. Not only is this one ugly tuber, it also has a reputation for giving people flatulence!

But give it a chance – the Jerusalem artichoke has a good nutty flavour and really comes into its own if you peel it, slice it thinly and bake it with cream, like you would potato dauphinoise. It’s also a great source of iron, vitamin C, phosphorous and potassium.

To cut down on the windy effects, parboil the peeled artichoke and throw away the water. Callers to BBC Radio 4’s Veg Talk  programme have also recommended a cup of fennel tea afterwards or, more bracingly, a shot of cider vinegar.

Root down

Our other staple winter vegetables, such as turnips, swedes and celeriac, have much in common – they’re starchy, need peeling and they’re a bit intimidating. Traditionally, these vegetables have been boiled and mashed. And they are very good like that – just add a good knob of butter, maybe some cream, and plenty of salt and pepper.

Still, it can all feel a bit too beige and bland. Fortunately, these vegetables respond well to a kick up the bum. Try cutting them into wedges, brushing with oil and roasting (like potato wedges) Add some fire chilli or other spices, such as cumin or hot paprika.

Top tastes

Similarly, you can cut them into chip-shapes and roast them like oven chips. Blanch them in boiling water first, then let them cool off and dry. Next toss them in some oil and then put them in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. If you have several of these vegetables knocking about, you can mix them all up.

You can also get more creative. There’s a lot to be said for grating winter vegetables because it brings out their sweetness and a new texture. Try grating celeriac and mixing it with sour cream or mayonnaise for a winter salad – think Waldorf and add some walnuts and celery if you want.

A cure for sprout phobia

Some more familiar winter vegetables include Brussels sprouts and pumpkin. While not as scary as swedes and celeriac, people harbour prejudices about these foods. The sprout, in particular, has an image problem.

If you just boil your sprouts, it’s no wonder if you get bored – try steaming them for a couple of minutes and then stir-frying them in a smoking hot wok. Add what you like – onion and garlic, bacon, chopped chestnuts – and finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar. The stir-frying gives a sweeter edge to the sprouts and makes them less cabbage-like.

World inspiration

It’s also helpful to look around the world for inspiration. Pumpkins can seem bland, but in Argentina it’s traditional to hollow them out and cook meat in them for a thick, hearty stew. The pumpkin is then baked in the oven for an hour or so and the stew is ladled out of it.

Pumpkins are also popular in some Asian cuisines – Nigella Lawson has a recipe for a yellow pumpkin and seafood Thai curry – and it appears in South Indian recipes too. In the Caribbean, pumpkins turns up in braises and in the Middle East they are often stuffed with meat, rice and spices.

The comfort zone

And finally, think of the carrot cake and extrapolate from there. There’s almost no end of possibilities for creating savoury – or indeed sweet – muffins and cakes using winter vegetables. It’s precisely their sweet, starchy nature that makes them get on well with butter and flour.

A basic muffin recipe can be adapted by leaving out the sugar and adding a few cups of grated vegetables – carrot, parsnip, potato – and some cheese to make a savoury batch. If you have kids, this is a sneaky way of getting some extra vegetables into their diet. Apple and carrot work well together in a muffin recipe.

Winter always feels like ages, but it will seem like an eternity if you eat boiled turnips. Open your mind, be creative and you might even find yourself looking forward to the swede season next year. 

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Before planting new trees, determine both your needs and the existing conditions of your site. Like all plants, trees have specific light, soil and space requirements. Remember that many trees grow quickly and continue to grow for many years. Once a trees are established, they’re not easy to move so its important to plan your garden in advance. Research the different type of trees you’re considering planting before making a final decision.

Choose a tree that will compliment your garden. Large shade trees are usually not suitable for smaller gardens. Tulip trees, for instance, can grow to 90 feet and, over time, will tower over a small garden or courtyard creating a fully shaded environment. Planted in a vast lawn, however, the tulip tree may be the perfect choice. If you have limited outdoor space, a smaller tree such as the cherry, dogwood or magnolia is more appropriate.

Know the mature size of the trees choose and plan your garden accordingly. Allow adequate space between your tree and your home to avoid any problems. High winds can cause heavy limbs to fall and potentially damage your roof. Large trees can also interfere with power lines and their roots can crack a driveway.

Another important issue to consider is whether a full grown tree will interfere with a walkway. A tree planted along a front walk can be beautiful at fist but over time may grow too large for its spot. An inappropriately placed tree may need to be pruned often, resulting in an awkward shape or may even need to be transplanted to a more suitable location.

Familiarize yourself with the existing conditions of your garden and the specific light and soil requirements of your new trees before planting. Many trees require lots of sunlight to while others prefer a bit of shade. In order for trees to reach their mature height, they need to be planted in nutrient rich, well-drained soil.

A row of trees can be an ideal way to mark a boundary line or create a privacy screen. Trees also protect your home and garden from elements such as biting winds and blowing snow. In the summer, trees create shade providing a break from the hot afternoon sun.

While at the nursery, choose a healthy looking tree with a burlap covered root ball. Carefully check the tree’s trunk and be sure to choose one without damaged bark. Also check the trees branches for broken limbs.

When your ready to plant, dig the hole the twice the diameter of the root ball and just as deep. Trees are heavy and planting them often requires two people so have a friend help place the tree in the hole. Be sure the top of the root ball is level with the existing grade of the garden. Avoid planting trees too deep or too high. Backfill the hole with a mix of compost, peat moss and existing soil. Once the hole is halfway filled, add water to eliminate any air pockets. After the water and soil settle, finish backfilling the hole, create a saucer around the trunk and water again.

Prior planning is essential to the success of your garden. Research the requirements of the trees you decide to use and find the best possible location. With some initial planning, trees which are properly located and planted, can last a lifetime with very little maintenance.

anonymous
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Overweight and obesity can increase the risk of heart problems, cholesterol and even early deaths. People now are avoiding fatty foods like meat, chicken, pork etc and are turning to  vegetarian diet india .
Whatever is your age, a planned vegetarian diet can give you all the nutrition you require, as vegetables are rich in nutrition. Even children can be taught to eat vegetables and vegetarian diets are healthy for elderly people, pregnant ladies and breast feeding mothers.
Today vegetarian diet is a healthy life style followed by millions of people in the world.  It has been found that people who consume more of vegetables have reduced risk of cholesterol, diabetes and heart diseases.
Vegetables are fat free and full of nutrients needed for your body, and that is why  vegetarian diet is so popular, because it provides you all the nutrients, without consuming any fat or calories.
The most valuable nutrients in vegetables are fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin A for your eyes, vitamin K for your bones etc. and vegetables are also rich in beta carotene, lycopene and all carotenoids which prevent the risk of cancer. But since these nutrients are fat free, it is better to have them with a little fat, like adding a bit of olive oil or peanut butter to your vegetables, makes your vegetarian diet tastier and healthier. But that does not mean that vegetables and fat should be taken together, if anything else that you are eating along with the vegetables contain fat, then, you are covered.
Vegetarian diets can be nutritious and tasty like non-vegetarian diets, if they are well planned and you can make your children like them. A fussy eater can be given a mixed combination of vegetables to make the vegetarian diet nutritious. Vegetarian diet provides your child with the required nutrition and calories.
A vegetarian diet which contains dal cooked with vegetables like, bottle gourd, apple gourd, pumpkin and spinach is a very nutritious meal. When you cook the vegetables, cut the vegetables and cook them immediately, so as to avoid loss of nutrition.
A vegetarian diet is well balanced, because vegetables contain essential minerals, vitamins and fibre that are needed for good health. Free Nutrition tips  Nutrition expert india

Robin
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If you have always been interested in the topic of landscaping you should learn about it from the experts. While you can read various gardening magazines, the best way for you to learn about landscaping is to take a landscaping class.

You might be surprised to know that landscaping classes are an excellent option. These classes are usually something that people who are interested in botany like to take, as it is a way to implement their love of plants.

You’ll learn about:

* Plant health, soil, and fertilizers

* Servicing garden tractors and other tools used in landscaping

* Creating landscaping designs using shrubs and ground covers

* Specialty landscaping, starting and operating your own landscaping business

* And you may be able to learn it right at home

With the right credentials, you can:

* Work for an established landscaping firm or start your own business.

* Complete your training in as little as six months from today, or take longer if you wish.

If you have a basic knowledge of flowers and plants, that basic knowledge will help you when it comes to learning about the basics of landscaping. If, however, you really do not know much about either, that is not a problem, because a landscaping class will teach you all of the basic knowledge plus more.

There are usually several levels of landscaping classes that you can choose from, in accordance with your current knowledge. The basic landscaping classes will most likely have to do with being able to identify certain kinds of plants, and how they can be implemented into various landscaping designs.

One important thing that you should know about landscaping is that you will need to pay attention to the kinds of plants that work well in your climate. For example, if you like a certain kind of plant, but that plant is only right in warmer climates, and you live in a colder climate, you will need to find a plant that can work with your climate.

Another important thing to learn about landscaping is the quality of soil that you have, because it varies with the climate. The kind of soil that you have should have sufficient nutrients, so you might need to get soil that has all the nutrients that your plants need. If you decide to take a class about landscaping, that should be one of the topics.

While your front yard landscaping is generally going to be about other people and what they see, your backyard landscaping is all about you. Backyard landscaping is one of the most popular methods in improving your outdoor space without spending too much money on materials, labor and other tasks involved in implementing a landscape design.

With backyard landscaping, not only can you achieve an improved overall appearance of your outdoor area, adding landscape elements can also benefit your home by providing environmental functions, increasing real estate value of your home, saving energy costs and adding privacy to your home.

Backyard landscaping can alter a person’s mood and perception because of the environmental feel of the area. As a result, people who work at home can improve productivity from work when they can work on a stress-free environment. Landscape elements in your backyard can have a positive effect on people with illnesses by giving the patient’s mind a relaxing state that speeds up recovery.

The good thing about backyard landscaping is you can take control of sunshine and air purification. By planning the placements of trees, shrubs and other elements, you can improve air circulation in your backyard, while maintaining adequate sunlight to enter your outdoor space. In addition, planting trees can help reduce pollution because plants can control erosion, reduce wind speed levels and noise effects, disperse mist and help in influencing snow deposition.

Backyard landscaping is not just positioning plants in your backyard, it can Save Energy Costs. Backyard landscaping not only provides beneficial effects to the environment and improves overall appearance to your outdoor space, it also helps you lower the costs of electricity throughout the year, even in summer or winter.

Adding trees and shrubs in proper patterns for your backyard landscaping can provide your outdoor space and house with a cooler environment during summer and a hotter surrounding during the winter. The process of plant transpiration absorbs heat from the air and results in cooling the air from water vapor. In addition, trees can shield your home from solar reflection and radiation, reducing the walls and other concrete elements in your backyard to store heat.

When you choose to plant trees that loose their leaves in winter, they help in reducing heat around your property during the summer. On the contrary, planting trees can also help in warming up your property during cold seasons by allowing sun to enter your surroundings. However, you need to consider proper placements of each element you want to add into your backyard landscaping to ensure that everything can function to provide your home with energy-efficient components. With a little investment and careful planning, you can beautify your outdoor space, save electricity costs, add real estate value and reduce air pollution. It is a win-win situation.

Copyright © John Hanna All Rights Reserved.

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Doug Woodall
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Apple trees are easy to grow fruit trees, given the right climatic conditions. They produce wonderful tasty fruit and come in many varieties. When you grow your own you are no longer restricted to what the commercial growers or supermarkets decide to provide, you can select a variety to suit your taste.

Apple trees like at least 6 hours of sunshine during summer, but bear in mind they require a spell in the dormant period, where the winter temperature is in a range of 32ºF-45ºF. These chilling requirements will encourage normal growth in the growing season. The northern hemisphere is where apple trees thrive; they grow best in cool to cold climates with a mild summer and cold winter. You will find that it is standard procedure for garden centers to follow the guidelines set up by the United States Department of Agriculture, to label their trees, giving you the most appropriate zones where the plants they sell will be successful.

Because of the space taken up by apple trees it is necessary to plan carefully before action is taken, and remember they are in place for a great number of years; there are recordings of some being 200 years old. From time of planting it can take up to 10 years for the tree to reach its maximum yield. Apple trees are a deciduous fruit tree, meaning that they lose their leaves in winter, so they can be used in a position where summer shade or winter sun is needed in the garden. Soil preparation and position is essential to reap the rewards an apple tree will give you. They are quite tolerant where soil conditions are concerned, however if you prepare in advance a plot which has good drainage along with a decent type of loam soil and a pH reading of 6.5, this will provide the ideal conditions for a good supply of apples and a healthy tree.

Apple trees consist of two parts: the scion and the rootstock which are grafted together to form the tree. The scion is the top part that forms the branches, leaves, flowers and fruit while the rootstock determines the size of the tree and it’s resistance to drought, pests and diseases. The trees can be dwarf, which grow 8-10ft, semi dwarf, 10-15ft or standard trees, which grow 20+ feet yet the fruit produced on all trees can be the same size.

Most varieties of apple trees are self-sterile so two varieties, with overlapping blossom times, are needed for pollination. I strongly recommend you buy young stock from a nursery, (growing from seed is possible but it takes too long), where your supplier will help you with your choice. The transfer of pollen from one tree to another is mainly undertaken by bees so try to encourage these insects into your garden and refrain from using insecticides during the period that they are active.

November is the ideal time to plant, but you can plant as late as March. Apple trees are usually sold bare rooted and when selecting the variety you want, make sure they look healthy. Check the roots to make sure they are nice and moist then keep them that way and plant as soon as possible.

Dig a hole big enough to accommodate the roots, then place the tree in the hole spreading the roots out so that they are not entangled. Back fill with soil pressing down firmly to ensure the roots stay in contact with the soil. Make sure that you keep the graft well above the soil level. You can support the tree with a strong stake at this stage (until it’s established), then give it a good drink of water after you have bedded them in. A layer of mulch placed around the tree will help to retain moisture and supress weeds. To protect from abnormal temperatures in winter, raise the mulch higher up the young tree or insulate with old sacks for this cold period only.

When your tree starts to bear fruit, remove apples from the tree by firmly holding the attachment of the stem and gently twisting the apple till it comes off. They are best eaten straight from the tree for optimum taste but if you’re intentions is to store the apples, leave the stem attached, as it helps preserve them, and keep in a well ventilated cool, dark, moist location. You will often find that a lot of the fruit will ripen together but one way of avoiding this glut is by having apple trees that fruit at different times, so long as there is that overlap period when they are blossoming to assist pollination.

It is worthwhile learning to prune your trees as they need to be shaped to allow correct growth. If you are interested in increasing your own stock then you may want to consider grafting though you may need certain skills or experience to attempt this.

Colin D Price
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