Since my last post, I have been busy planting my own kitchen garden in Barbados and growing a variety of organic produce. The garden is now producing an interesting array
of herbs and vegetables throughout the year, allowing me to
cook fresh, organic, garden-to-table style dishes.
Growing your own fresh produce is both fun and very
rewarding. The results can
be amazing since really fresh food adds more intense flavours that are exciting
to the palate. Who knew how great
a salad could taste when you can pick your greens fresh and use them right away. It almost makes it hard to
eat any other way. But at least if
you can start to supplement your daily diet with as many fresh foods as
possible, it’s a great way to achieving a much healthier lifestyle.
In Barbados, it is easy to get rum barrels from any of
the rum refineries (I source the ones from Mount Gay) and use them to grow
herbs and vegetables. That way,
the produce can be reared above ground level and away from pests such as snails and
slugs. The rum barrels are large enough, deep enough, and are very attractive in the garden.
I try to make a fresh salad every day at lunch time. My favourite type of lettuce is Arugula
as it imparts a peppery flavour which is a nice addition to any green
salad. Having a simple Arugula
salad with pear, cucumber, dried cranberries, roasted walnuts, green onions and
fresh Italian parsley is simply delicious topped with a homemade fresh lime and
olive oil vinaigrette. I always
add freshly grated Parmesan cheese as the finishing touch.
Arugula salad with pear and roasted walnuts topped with a fresh lime/olive oil vinaigrette.
If you have never grown your own food, and you have the
space at home to do it, I recommend it highly, even if you can only grow over a short period of the year. The rewards far
outweigh the effort required. And don't be surprised if you get hooked.
