Geetha's Kitchen

Recipes tagged “How to grow”

Showing posts with the label How to grow

Home Grown Herbs: Mint

April 10, 2012

Home Grown Mint (Mentha spicata) Mint is perhaps the easiest of herbs to grow at home - and the benefits of having this brightly aromatic herb fresh are endless ... delicious in salads, teas, curries, wraps, and of course as garnishes .... desserts, fruit salads and fancy beverages would not be complete without a little sprig :D. Although there are different kinds of mints used in the kitchen, spearmint (Mentha spicata) is the most popular. P eppermint is used predominantly for teas and flavorings and spearmint for tea as well as all other cooking needs. Mint is an enormously useful herb beyond the kitchen too: it is used in medicines, perfumes, soaps, oral hygiene products, insect repellents, etc, etc. I find that stem cuttings are the best and quickest way to grow mint. It grows quite easily from cuttings - child's play :>! I grew mine years ago from the leftover stems after using the leaves for cooking. Since it is a perennial herb, o nce planted mint will keep growing ...

Home Grown Greens/Veggies: Chayote Squash (Sechium edule)

July 23, 2010

Chayote squash is a wonderfully versatile vegetable delicious in salads, curries, kootu, soups, or casseroles. Pronounced "chay-yo-tay", it is also called Bangalore/Seeme kathirikai, chow-chow, etc in India and vegetable pear, Buddha's Hand squash, christophene, choko, mirliton, etc in other countries. Natives of Central America, chayotes belong to the cucurbit family which includes cucumbers, melons, and squashes. Although the chayotes themselves are available pretty much year-round, the leaves are not available for purchase. So in my quest for edible leaves (don't mind a few fruits too :}), I have been trying to grow it for years but alas have not succeeded yet in establishing it outside. Every time I have planted it outside, the whole thing is gone overnight without a trace in a disappearing act. I am determined to find a way to get past the chayote thief, oh yes. The best time to start growing chayote is probably just before spring so that as soon a...

Homegrown Greens/Herbs: Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

July 23, 2010

Plain green leaves of Sorrel (in the foreground) happily growing with Red Chard Sorrel or French sorrel is a wonderful herb and does well in a pot or in the ground. It has a lovely acid flavor that works well in salads, soups and curries. For those who love Gongura, sorrel is a fabulous alternative as it is available quite readily as plants or seeds in most nurseries. It is a perennial plant that tolerates some cold weather and is available year around in mild winter areas. Harvest leaves by carefully breaking off the stems from the base. Tender young leaves can be added to salads. Add a few leaves of finely chopped sorrel to soups, dals, or kuzhambus to add a delicious piquancy. I like to chop them finely so that the leaves can mix in thoroughly in whichever dish they are added because they turn a dark olive green upon heating. Try cooking the leaves in: Mung Kuzhambu , Mor Kuzhambu , Mor Kootu , etc.

Home Grown Greens/Herbs: Sweet Potato/Yam Leaves (Ipomea batatas)

May 27, 2010

I like the idea of having something growing so that I can pick a few leaves to add freshness as well as nutrition to the day's menu. Sweet Potato/yam (Ipomoea batatas) leaves are very easy to grow and absolutely delicious; for clarification of the name yam, check here . It is another dark green leafy veggie that you can add to your repertoire of home grown leaves. Whether you get heart-shaped or deeply divided leaves, the plant is quite handsome as a potted plant. All one needs to grow the leaves is a sweet potato; there are two methods that can be used for growing it: Place the whole potato in a dark cupboard and leave it undisturbed for a few weeks; it will sprout in its own time. You will see vines sprouting out. Place the potato in a jar of water and wait for it to sprout; soon roots and vines will start to grow. Choose either method (or both) and once sprouts start to grow, you can plant the whole potato with the vines attached in a large pot and watch the vine...