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Home grown fruit/veg suggestions please

Chris

So I have heard the reports that meat is high on the carbon footprint scale, although I believe chicken isn't sooo bad.

But I also received an email from an online 'heritage butcher' that I've used before. The owner is starting a campaign called 'Save our Season', to try and lobby for a seasonality tax. The idea being, we pay x for British Asparagus, and y (which is nigh on the same) for imported asparagus, when British isn't in season. I say asparagus... I do use lidls as well as waitrose... Laughing

But this got me thinking... his aim was it would promote reduced food miles, seasonal eating and quality/welfare. He also suggested that the commonly published footprints for various meats aren't what they appear... as they take into account the average food miles as well as cow farts...?

I'm not anticipating getting any livestock, but I am wondering how much of our veg I can grow myself?

Has anyone got some suggestions for useful things to grow? (That are legal!) I'm going to have another go at Trinidad Perfume Chilli's, and I've got a good stock of Red Bull sweet pepper seeds from the last couple of years. But trying to think of some more things to grow, in particular (but not limited to) those that tend to be imported (?)

I'm also tempted to have another go at growing mushrooms, but probably from a proper kit rather than grain spawn like I did last year...

Parents

  • I'm no expert gardener but have done a few things myself before. So, I'll be watching this thread too for ideas.

    The other idea I like is going for unusual or dying out varieties of common veg. I saw a documentary about tomatoes. They aren't all red and round and taste all the same. Apparently the victorians had masses of varieties that aren't seen any more because the super markets all go for a select few. What's more a licence is needed to proporgate and sell the seeds and it's an expensive process. Some of these old varieties still don't have a modern licence. I love black tomatoes. So glad they are making a come back.

    Seasonal is great, but imports aren't the only way to enjoy out of season yummies, of course. Anything that be frozen, pickeled or preserved is always a good idea. 

    I also like 'cut and come again' salads, a few plants can keep you fed a long while.

  • in reply to Dawn

    I was looking into rare and heritage breed tomatoes. I was very tempted by 'Micro Tom' due to the size of the plants.

    But I was a bit put off when I read the flavour isn't great

  • in reply to Chris

    Very pretty as house plants though. But yes, I'd want flavour.

    My son was telling me about 'wonky veg', (I think that's what it's called), it seems to be a subscription service which sends you a huge box every few weeks of whatever is British, seasonal and rejected by supermarkets for not being the right size and shape or colour. I like that idea. Supermarkets waste so much perfectly nutritious and tasty food just because it's not pretty enough.

    You never know what you are going to get and that he feels is the fun of it. Open the box and get creative with what you've got.

  • in reply to Dawn

    Yep! I worked at a local BP (with M&S) garage for a bit, it was horrendously wasteful. I didn't do it for long, mainly as I was easily manipulated into taking on the night shifts which didn't help my mental health at the time. I had been desperate to do some work though.

  • in reply to Chris

    They should give it away to food banks. That practice is disgustingly wasteful in an environmentally damaged world where so many go hungry.

    Just looked up that company. It's called Oddbox

  • in reply to Dawn

    I like this idea, I'll look it up and check prices. We have sooo much food waste in this country its unreal. Cafes, petrol stations, fast food, supermarkets... they all overstock in-store items. And so as not to encourage staff to purposefully overstock and take the leftovers, they insist on it all being chucked!!!

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  • in reply to Dawn

    I like this idea, I'll look it up and check prices. We have sooo much food waste in this country its unreal. Cafes, petrol stations, fast food, supermarkets... they all overstock in-store items. And so as not to encourage staff to purposefully overstock and take the leftovers, they insist on it all being chucked!!!

Children