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Julia’s veggies - Healthy Growing, Healthy Eating

The good rainfall and warm weather are great for veggies but also for the pests who have been enjoying our harvest! Fortunately, winter brings cooler weather and many
pests become dormant. One important organic practice is to grow the right veggie at the right time! So, this is the time to grow all those tasty veggies that both us and
the pests love to eat! This includes veggies from the brassica family such as broccoli and cauliflower, Asian greens and nutritious and yummy kale. by Julia Farmer
Vegetable of the Season – Kale: Ten years ago, Kale was mostly grown as an ornamental plant with pretty purple, white and pink rosettes (see below) to decorate the veggie patch and garden. Now

it is probably one of the most talked about superfoods: proclaimed to have cancer fighting properties; with countless recipes being produced by celebrity chefs. Even Gwyneth Paltrow made kale chips on the popular
show “Ellen” and the US has celebrated National Kale Day since 2013. And what’s more there are some great looking heirloom varieties such as Black Palm Kale and ‘Sympatic’ Purple kale.

Varieties: (Above Left to Right) Curly kale, Ornamental Kale white and pink-purple, ‘Sympatic’
Kale, Black Palm Kale. Others: Choumoellier (Cabbage, kohrabi, kale hybrid), Dwarf Siberian
How to grow: Plant kale seeds in trays then transplant once the plants are 10cm high
or plant directly where they are to grow. Kale grows best in fertile, well composted soil that
is slightly acidic. The plants like full sun but will also tolerate partial shade such as under
shade netting. Space plants 45 -50cm apart and in rows 60com apart. After transplanting
feed with nitrogen-rich liquid fertiliser and water regularly for sweet and tender leaves. As
the plants grow, draw the soil up around the stems of the plants to support them.
When to harvest: Just like spinach, pick a few leaves at a time from each plant,
making sure that the top leaves are left to carry on growing.
Why eat: Kale is ranked high on the list of nutrient-rich vegetables. It supplies good
amounts of fibre, vitamins C, A and K and contains more calcium, per gram, than milk! It
is rich in iron and has antioxidants that help prevent cancer. It also has anti-inflammatory
properties.However, raw kale can affect the functioning of the thyroid gland.
How to eat: If you want to eat it raw use an olive oil-based dressing to make it more
palatable. Raw kale can also be added to a breakfast smoothie. When cooking kale,it takes
more time than spinach, particularly the curly-leafed varieties. Alternatively, fry additional
ingredients such as garlic, onion and tomato for a few minutes, before adding the chopped
kale and a little water, then cook for a further 10 minutes.