Dubai Veg Growers

How Many Ways Can You Use a Coconut?

2012-02-28T05:39:00.001-08:00

For me, coconut trees evoke the memory of the street I grew up on- a quiet place lined with palm trees rising tall in front of the modest villas. The yards where these trees grew were well-tended, layered with the colours and smells of bougainvillea, morning glory, frangipani, jasmine, periwinkle, Rangoon creeper and other plants. Yet, I was living in no tropical paradise.

Beyond the soothing whispers of the palms, beyond the street security barrier manned by a burly chowkidar, there was always the sheer press of Karachi’s teeming crowds, ethnic clashes, political instability, the bang and shatter of gunfire, regular news of bombs and bodies dumped in bags. Although we were cocooned in relative peace, the times were tainted with confusion, turbulence and often fear, as indeed they are today. In those days, the coconut palms dotting the violent landscape of my city came to signify a particularly defiant strain of grace and beauty for me.

But it was when I moved out of Karachi that the versatile coconut itself started to feature more and more in my diet. Traditional Pakistani cuisine does not use much coconut. The most we ever got to eat the nut was a few fresh slices sold by men on traffic lights or from street carts.

These days, I enjoy everything coconut- coconut water, coconut milk in curries and smoothies, coconut bread, coconut chutney, coconut oil or just a bite of fresh coconut. I use coco peat made from the husk, for my plants. I have used coconut oil for my hair since I was a little girl. I even own spoons made out of coconut shells that chef Vijay gave me as a present after a culinary lesson in a country kitchen outside Colombo. One day, I may even have a few palms of my own…

The biggest dietary move for me has been using coconut oil instead of ‘vegetable oils’ for almost all my high-heat cooking. Not too long ago, coconut oil was the villain of the fat debate. These days it’s certainly the darling of the nutritionists. However, I will leave the saturated/unsaturated fat debate aside and focus on a rule I have increasingly adopted- go for the least processed foods. And virgin, preferably organic coconut oil is just that. Plus I love the nutty flavor. Try it with lentils- cook any type with salt and turmeric and do a tadka or bhagar with sliced red onion, chopped garlic, dried red chilly and cumin seeds fried in some coconut oil. It adds a whole new dimension to a simple dish.

For fresh coconuts, I usually head to Lulu as they also scrape them for you in the store. But coconut meat goes off rather quickly, even in the fridge. In stepped the resourceful Sri Lankan lady who helps me around the house. From Satwa, she procured a simple coconut scraper for me for a grand total of Dhs 23. It does require some elbow grease I admit but fresh coconut scraped on my kitchen counter is well worth the work.

Coconut Rice with Nuts (serves 4)

This has to be one of my most favourite coconut recipes. It looks great and is big on flavours and textures. There's the light crunch of the toasted coconut, the bite of the cashews and peanuts and the brilliant yellow colour coming through from the turmeric. Try it with a simple curry of lentils or prawns.

Recipe

Basmati rice, 2 cups soaked in water for an hour
Fresh coconut, grated, 1 cup
Coconut Oil 4 tbsp
Curry leaves, 10-12
Peanuts, 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts, 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
Turmeric, 1 tsp
Red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp
Salt, to taste

Method

1- Boil rice until three quarters cooked. Drain in a colander and keep aside.
2- Heat coconut oil in a large frying pan.
3- Add nuts and fry until light golden.
4- Add curry leaves and mustard seeds.
5-When mustard seeds splutter, add fresh coconut, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry until a nutty aroma comes out.
6- Add salt, mix well and remove from heat.
7- In a large pot, layer half the rice. Spread the coconut mix on top and cover with the rest of the rice.
8- Cover pot with a tight fitting lid and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Check to see steam is forming inside the pot.
9- Turn heat to lowest setting, on your smallest ring and let cook for 20 minutes.
10- Turn off heat and allow the rice to rest for 5 minutes.
11- Open lid and stir the rice with a fork to prevent lumps from forming.

Enjoy!

Gorgeous, Glossy Red Cabbage: Soup, Salad and Pleasure

2012-02-06T05:21:00.000-08:00

Nature knew what it was doing when it gave red cabbage its gorgeous, glossy colour. These days I cannot seem to return from the supermarket without a piece of this locally grown, beautiful and nutritious vegetable in the bag. The colour alone, both raw and cooked warrants the amount of red cabbage we seem to be consuming in soups and hearty salads on these mild middle eastern winter days. And of course, the deep deep red pigment also reflects a superb nutrition profile- a high concentration of phytonutrients and a number of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

I have been reading Michael Pollan's book In Defence of Food and what a brilliant read it is! With his unique perspective on food, society and health, Pollan strives to free us from the clutches of 'nutritionism'- the modern trend of breaking every single food down to its individual nutrients. We live surrounded by terms like anti-cancer, antioxidants and superfoods. There is a lot of pressure on us to get the right amount of nutrients in order to avoid disease. So I will make sure that the broccoli is brought home and the salmon and the flax seeds and numerous other things that I honestly didn't know or care about until a couple of years ago. There will be a lot of trying out new recipes and a lot of getting used to new flavours- a far cry from the traditional diet of rice, curry and chapati that I grew up with. We will try and grow some of our own vegetables to make sure they are organic and fresh. And while for the most part, it's been a positive experience, I found that I was losing interest in shopping for food and cooking, even eating at times. What I was losing was balance. And also, the pleasure one takes in eating food. Pollan's writing has been very liberating for me. When I go shopping now, I don't think about the week's meals strictly in terms of their nutritional content. I am mindful of eating only real food but I let desire, pleasure and memories guide me too. So when I am reaching out for that piece of red cabbage, the anti-cancer benefits are not the first thing on my mind- it's the colour and the thought of a warming, pretty soup. We had Red Cabbage Soup a couple of days ago and the purple colour was a big hit with the kids.

The next day, I threw together a salad with the left over cabbage, some rocket leaves, apple slices and walnuts. It was heavenly dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and some sea salt.

Recipes

Red Cabbage Soup (serves 2)

Red Cabbage 2 cups roughly chopped
Potato 1/2 cup peeled and cubed
Onion 1 medium, sliced
Vegetable stock 2 cups
Walnuts 3 tbsp (optional)
Butter, olive oil or coconut oil 2 tbsp
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter. Saute onion until for a couple of minutes. Throw in cabbage and potatoes and stir well. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat down, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft. Let cool for a bit and blend in a blender or using a hand held. Top with walnuts and serve warm with crushed black pepper and sea salt.

Red Cabbage, Apple and Rocket Salad (serves 2)

Red Cabbage 2 cups, thinly sliced
Rocket leaves 1/2 cup
Red Apple 1 thinly sliced sliced
Walnuts 4 tbsp

Dressing:

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
dash of lemon (optional)

Mix ingredients thoroughly and drizzle on salad.

Eat well but don't be too hard on yourself!

Cooking with Dill and other things from the garden

2012-01-31T12:30:00.000-08:00

Going back to Karachi always does this to me. It's almost traumatic- especially the return. Not so much because I miss my family- indeed three weeks of pure wedding can be a family dose large enough to last a long while- no, it's more like a massive drain of energy so that i come back virtually juiced out. That faced with the husband travelling a bit too often for work, start of school for Sara and the blustery weather that I didn't quite know what to make of. So come evening, I would crash in front of the telly with my dinner while the wind howled through the trees outside.

More recently, the days have been all blue and breezy. My brain fog seems to be clearing up as well and I have finally got round to doing something with the dill that has grown huge outside. It grew rather fast and fuss free and almost took over the rocket and basil in the raised bed.

We have had a steady harvest of tomatoes and aubergines. The first few tomatoes off the vine had Blossom End Rot but just like last year the second batch of tomatoes seems to have corrected the problem. Peppers have been a miserable failure. However, with our gorgeous harvest, we have made a delicious Grilled Veg Soup and Green Pancakes with Lime Butter from Ottolenghi's Plenty and an amazingly simple Mediterreanean Fish Bake. The bees have been doing their work on the cucumbers and there's some peas coming in now and radishes too. All in all, a lot to be grateful for and a lot to take pleasure in.

By the way, I tried to do a post about each and every one of these dishes but obviously I am still at the Food Photography for Idiots stage. Each afternoon, I ran like a headless chicken between kitchen and dining table, fingers greasy, things burning and wilting as I tried to capture too many details. In the end, by the time, the final dish was made, it was too dark and the girls wanted their dinner. However, I must say that the introductory photography course I did end of last year with Gulf Photo Plus and a workshop I attended with fellow food bloggers at the Fatafeat studio has done a lot to make me comfortable with my camera. But not brave enough to venture into the realms of reflectors and diffusers and the fully manual mode...

Today, we made a Persian Dill and Broad Bean Pilaf along with a fresh cucumber and radish garden salad. It was a perfectly light yet satisfying lunch. And although, the girls probably found the dill flavour to be unusual and a bit too complex, they managed to hoover the Pilaf up, bless them!

The recipe for Persian Dill and Broad Bean Pilaf is pretty simple too. I am not claiming that this is the traditional way but only something that works beautifully for me.

Persian Dill and Broad Bean Pilaf

11/2 cup basmati rice, soaked for an hour
1 cup frozen broad beans
1 cup chopped fresh dill
4 tbsp butter
Salt to taste

Method

1- Bringe a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add rice and salt and cook until almost three quarters cooked.
2- Drain and rinse with cold water.
3- Dunk broad beans in some hot water for a minute. Rinse with cold water and shell them.
4- Wipe the pot and melt 2 tbsp of the butter in it.
5- Add a layer of rice and then a layer of broad beans and dill.
6- Alternate layers until all the rice, beans and herbs have been used up, ending with a layer of rice.
7- Make a few holes in the final layer with your finger and drop the remaining butter into these.
8- Wrap a tea tower around the lid of pot and place it so that no steam escapes.
9- Cook the rice on high heat for 5-7 minutes until steam forms and then turn it down to the lowest setting and leave to cook for 20 minutes.
10- Turn off heat. Let rice rest for 5 minutes. Fluff up with fork and serve warm.

Picking Beans in PJs

2011-12-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

Last year, we had mixed luck with the runner beans we planted. This year, we are full of beans!

We are growing the Blue Lake Pole variety and they are coming along like a dream. Magic beans, indeed. And they have to be picked first thing in the lovely cool of the morning, in panda bear pjs. That's half the fun. The other half is a bean brunch- garden fresh beans stir fried in a bit of olive oil, garlic and sea salt. The girls eat them like chips and have coined their own term for it- 'chip-beans'. Whatever it takes to get the greens in, I am not complaining!

The beans vines are continuously setting new flowers and fruits. You can see that a lot of the leaves have been damaged by leaf miners. The edges of some also appear scalded. This could be due to the sun they get almost all day long but I didn't want to move them as they seem to be thriving in their current position despite everything.

My beans were started in 13 litre plastic buckets, 3 to a pot in potting soil + a handful of neem fertiliser and perlite. A month into the growing season, I topped the pot up with some more fertiliser. They have not been fertilised any other way. The watering has been religious though- a good soaking around the base of the vines every other day until the cooler temperatures last.

What have you harvested from your garden so far? Please drop us a line...

How to Improve Shop-Bought Potting Soil

2011-12-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

To grow well, the roots of your plants need:

Air
Moisture
Nutrients

Air - In general, most potting mixes sold commercially around here have good aeration. You can tell by how light and crumbly the mix is. If you are using a container with potting mix from last year, it may have compacted a bit. It's a good idea to fluff it up with a fork and combine with some new mix to ensure your roots don't suffocate once they reach the lower half of the pot.

Moisture- Your potting mix must drain water well but also retain moisture efficiently. Most especially in the growing season here that sees little rain and a lot of sun, watering needs of plants can be huge and quite demanding. At times, potting mixes dry up very quickly despite regular watering and stress your growing plants. I like to add some Perlite, a naturally occurring volcanic glass with several excellent characteristics. It is sterile, lightweight, odourless and retains moisture and nutrients within your growing medium while improving aeration. It also reduces extreme soil temperature fluctuations. So in order to keep those pots light and to make your water last longer, add a few handfuls of perlite to your container along with potting soil and fertiliser. You can find perlite in Warsan nurseries in Dubai.

Nutrients/ Fertiliser

NPK is no longer the mystery to me that it used to be. It's really quite simple, even if you have the most vague memories of the periodic table.

N- Nitrogen, P-Phosphorous and K-Potassium stands for the three major elements needed for plant growth. Plants also need micronutrients such as iron and magnesium.

This is how the nutrients work:

N for leafy growth
P for root growth
K for flower and fruit set

Compost - Compost is an excellent soil conditioner and fertiliser. It creates organic reserves within the potting medium that release nutrients slowly over time. You can therefore add as much compost as you want to your container without running the risk of 'burning your plants'. Humic substances in compost help nutrients become more readily available to your plants. However, quantities of phosphorous, nitrogen, potassium, sulphur, calcium and other micronutrients present in your compost can vary from batch to batch. In some cases, plants may need an additional dose of fertiliser to grow well. You can use any of the fertilisers detailed below in combination with compost to ensure healthy growth and a good harvest from your vegetable plants.

Commercially, there's very few 'compost' brands available in the UAE. However, most potting mixes available are actually compost-based containing more than 50% organic matter. So you may not know it but you are already starting out with some compost. You can also make your own compost at home using the Bokashi system.

Cow manure- Using manure is another way to add valuable organic matter and fertiliser to your soil. Locally, I have seen heat-treated cow manure sold in plant nurseries in Warsan. Fresh manure must be treated and aged before it can be used in the vegetable garden. Cow manure is not as rich in nutrients as say, chicken manure, but that makes it safe to use in large quantities. It has a high ratio of nitrogen which is great for giving young plants a good start. You may however have reservations about using manure if you want to use purely vegetarian or strictly organic growing methods. There are alternatives such as Alfalfa meal, Seaweed and Kelp. Shalimar Herbals has recently introduced a Cocopeat fertiliser that includes seaweed. However, I have not personally tried it yet.

Bone meal - Bone meal is a mixture of crushed and ground animal bones, often used in organic gardens. It is a great source of phosphorous and is commonly added to planting holes before putting in transplants as it encourages strong and healthy root growth. However, used on its own, it is not a sufficient source of nitrogen and potassium. Bone meal is hard to come by locally but you may just chance upon it in a plant shop or garden centre.

Fish Blood and Bone- Fish Blood and Bone is an excellent multi-purpose fertiliser with just the right balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for your vegetable plants. I recently came across organic fish-based fertiliser pellets in Satwa and Dubai Garden Centre (Dhs 15-19).

Neem fertlizer- Neem-based fertilisers are a great vegetarian source of nutrients for your plants. Locally, I have only found Shalimar to sell a Neem Herbal fertiliser which has a high ratio of nitrogen along with other nutrients and of course, Neem's incredible capability to repel pests such as nematodes.

NPK - 'NPK' is usually used to refer to synthetic fertilisers with very specific quantities of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium alongwith trace elements such as magnesium and iron. Most vegetable plants need a fertiliser high in potassium, which aids flowering and fruiting. Be careful to read the label on any fertiliser you buy, organic or synthetic. Products such as GrowFast or Phostrogen can be added to the potting mix in recommended quantities to fertilise your plants. They don't do anything in the way of improving soil structure and introducing healthy microbes.

Different plants have different nutrient needs

Leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and herbs will appreciate an all-purpose fertiliser or one high in Nitrogen for good green growth.

Fruiting plants such as tomatoes, aubergines and beans benefit from a high potassium fertiliser, especially one they begin to flower.

Root vegetable plants such as potatoes need to be fertilised with fertilisers high in both phosphorus and potassium.

Some vegetables such as carrots and radishes are actually not too bothered about being fertilised. Indeed, they don't much like it. If grown in soil too rich, they will produce abundant leafy growth but misshapen, woody roots.

Do leave your comments and experiences with fertilisers below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Plenty and Pleasure from the Garden

2011-12-08T23:59:00.000-08:00

Recently, I discovered Wendell Berry, an American poet, essayist, novelist, cultural critic and farmer. I was searching for something on Google when I came across a quote by him. It was one of those moments when you suddenly tingle all over and feel overwhelmed, ecstatic and 'limitless' all at the same time. I spent the rest of the day reading some of Berry's essays and poem. Small-scale farming, community-building, traditional values and above all, living in harmony with nature are some of the themes that run through his work. The language is rich with beautiful, thought-provoking imagery of the land in Kentucky that had been settled by his ancestors in the early 19th Century and that he works today. I encourage you to look him up and read some of his work. In this post, I am sharing a couple of quotes and a poem that I though was simply beautiful.

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry

3 Men and a 'Zero Mile Diet' in the Industrial Wilds of Dubai

2011-11-30T04:42:00.000-08:00

Out on the timber yard, Bishu, Prince and Jose probably don't see a lot of ladies. And certainly not two gardening enthusiasts who have ventured into the industrial wilds of Nad-al-Sheba one bright morning to see nothing less than a small wonder- food growing on the yard, right there alongside the bare concrete and wood piles of the men's workplace. They smile shyly, stuffing their hands in pockets and shuffling their feet, almost a little embarrassed at our praise and questions.

But we cannot seem to get over the fact that, here in Dubai, except for the hottest months of the year, the men practice as much of a 'zero-mile' or 'farm-to-table' diet as they can.

There's a kitchen on the yard and in the growing season, most of the food cooked there comes from the vegetable patch.

Whereever there's dug-up ground and space, the men have put up arbours to grow most of the vegetables vertically- a great way to save space and provide shade for other stuff. In places, even dried palm leaves are being used to provide support to plants. Wherever you look, vines are growing ferociously, twining, clinging, the leaves big and bold, flowers blooming and fruiting.

There's even a few chicken running around. I had sort of forgotten what real, alive chicken looked like. Or how agile and funny they can be. I run after them, trying to get a nice shot, but they refuse to cooperate.

There's also a drumstick tree and a lime tree growing on the yard. A Drumstick tree, or Moringa, as commonly know in India, is quite amazing. Indeed it is considered one of the most useful trees in the world as most of it is edible- the immature green pods eaten like beans, the mature pods used as shelling peas, flowers that have a mushroom-like taste and leaves that are consumed like spinach. The bark, sap, seeds, leaves, oil are also used in traditional medicine. For centuries, they have been used in the tropic and subtropics to fight malnutrition. In today's world, where food security is a growing concern, why don't I see more of these in the UAE?

To enrich and fertilise the land, the men use treated cow manure available in local nurseries. The only pesticide used, and that too sparingly, is Neem Oil. The empty manure sacks are then reused to plant things like tomatoes and eggplants. A Bokashi bin is also used to make compost.

The workers follow a traditional South Indian diet of curries, rice and chapati and only grow what they like to eat. That's something we should all remember. It's fun to plant new varieties of vegetables that we may like to get into but most of the food we grow should ideally be what we consume on a regular basis.

I hope you enjoyed and felt inspired by this post. Don't forget to leave your thoughts and comments below!

Happy gardening!

Swap Your Cow for Beans

2011-11-27T03:51:00.000-08:00

In the market, I swapped my cow for some magic beans.

Fortunately, my mother never got wind of it and I never had to go to bed without supper. In fact, these days Ammi is much too occupied with tailors and jewellers to pay much attention to me or my bean adventures. You see, my youngest brother is getting married next month in Karachi. As for my suppers, I have indeed had many happy ones under the cool moonlight recently, admiring the gorgeously lush bean vines twining around the poles. Where will they lead me to, I muse often.

And wait, I haven't even told you about the the fuzzy little babies on my Edamame plants. Yes. You heard me right. E-d-a-m-a-m-e. Envious? Well, funny enough, the variety is called Envy too. The pods are already braving the world and I am so proud of them.

Don't worry if you don't have a cow. Beans are magical anyway. Follow my simple guidelines for growing beans in containers and you'll see for yourself.

Go vertical by choosing Pole Beans
I like growing pole beans as opposed to dwarf beans. Pole beans look almost striking, especially when grown up a tepee and are very pretty too when they flower. With their vertical growing habit, they also don't take much space in the garden. 'Pole' simply defines the way these beans grow so if you hear them referred to as green beans or snap beans, they are all actually the same thing. Pole beans do take a longer time to mature compared to bush beans but they are more prolific and only bear a small amount of fruit each day, so you can eat fresh off the plant every day. As long as you keep picking them, they will keep coming.

Choose a popular variety
Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder and Romano Italian are all varieties quite popular in home gardens, known to be prolific and reliable. They grow well in our warm UAE winters and now is a good time to sow your beans as the mild weather has just started and there is enough time for your plants to bloom and bean.

Prepare the soil
Add plenty of compost and/or organic fertiliser to your potting soil to give your plants a good headstart. A product I like is Shalimar's Neem Herbal Fertilizer which has high amount of Nitrogen in it and is good to use at planting time.

Sow the Beans
Sow directly in moist soil or small pots and transplant when first true leaves show up. Bean seedlings grow very fast and the last thing you want is to leave them struggling and losing vigour due to restricted root space.

Provide Support
Bamboo canes work like a charm. Sow up to five seeds in a 15 litre pot and stick a bamboo cane next to each seed. Tie the canes together at the top with twine to make a tepee. You can also plant a row and use any old trellis or even tree branches for your bean plants. Pinch the growing tip as the vines reach the top of the support to make them branch out.

Fertilise or not?

There is a lot of conflicting information about whether you should or shouldn't fertilise your bean plants. See, beans have a way of fixing their own nitrogen into the soil. So in theory, if you apply a fertiliser, especially one high in Nitriogen (the N number) you risk encouraging a lot of foliage and no beans. That said, beans grown in pots will need to be fertilised at one point or the other. This is what I do to keep my beans happy.

1- Fertilise with tomato feed at half the strength once a week. If available, use organic fertilisers such Fish, Blood and Bone or Comfrey Fertiliser.
2- Top up the soil with a granular fertiliser every month to ensure a slow release of nutrients to your growing plants.

Keep a close eye on your plants
Typical problems:

New growth is a paler green than the older foliage > Nitrogen deficiency.
New growth is a pale green with darker veins >magnesium or calcium deficiency

Using an all-purpose (10-10-10) fertiliser with trace elements added will give your plants a fast boost but will also leach out soon with watering. Therefore, use a combination of liquid and granular fertiliser to fix the problem.

The pH factor plays a role in the availability of nutrients. Beans like it between 6.0 and 7.5. If your soil is too alkaline (ph>7.5) your beans may have trouble absorbing available iron. The use of chelated iron often seems to fix the problem. However, before you proceed with amending your soil pH, I suggest you purchase an inexpensive pH testing kits from a plant shop (around 45 Dhs) and then take the required measures.

Watering
Beans are thirsty plants. Water regularly in our dry winters. If you can, mulch to retain moisture.

Sunlight
Beans love full sun. Place in a warm sunny position with at least 4 hours of sunlight everyday.

Grow beans with the kids
Kids can tell beans are magical. The seeds are easy to sow and the growth fast enough to keep the little ones happy. The beans are easy to pick too. My girls like them stir fried in a bit of olive oil and sea salt. They call them 'chip-beans' as they eat them like chips /french fries.

Growing Edamame
Edamame plants usually have a bush habit. In all other respects, you can treat them like pole beans. Plant them 5-6" apart in a deep container and watch them grow. Mine have proved really rewarding as the total time from sowing to flowering has been just over 45 days.

A Garden Veg Tagine & My 'Thing' for Markets

2011-11-24T12:08:00.000-08:00

I have a thing for markets- the chaotic, not-very-tidy types. Head to Dubai Vegetable & Fruit Market in Ras-Al-Khor and you'll know what I mean. The first thing that hits you is that it's a man's world. The only women you see around are a couple of Arab ladies who look like they know how to hold their own over the vendors. And a few tourists who have stranded off the main trail in search of something more exotic and organic than Dubai's standard malls.

While not exactly exotic, the market is full of character and characters- Bengali shopkeepers and Pakistani truck drivers, tea boys and wheel barrow boys, loaders, cleaners, junk collectors and footpath salesmen who will sell you a pack of peaches for as cheap as 5 Dhs and unload a box of melon into your car boot (because the fruit are so sweet you cannot possibly leave it behind). The hard sell techniques may amuse you or leave you foaming at the mouth. I was trained to take a light view of these in the markets of Karachi.

The market is also a piece of Dubai's history, preserving a sense of continuity in a city where everything from trees to homes feel newly sprouted.

My best buy are oranges so small, they almost seem to be quivering inside the crate. They are a sight and I know the girls will love them. I pick up some well-priced and good quality pomegranates, grapes, strawberries, squash, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, garlic and aubergines too. But not everything I buy is satisfactory. The okra turns out to be tough and stringy and the half the tomatoes are in various stages of rotting. The carrots have a hard bitter core.

I have bought more stuff than I needed and I know just the perfect dish for the beautiful variety of vegetables in season. Earlier this year, I visited the city of Fez in Morocco. In a Riad inside the walls of the medieval medina, I spent a day with Chef Lahcen learning how to cook a Vegetable Tagine and Moroccan starters such as Zaalouk and Tektouka. The tagine is my favourite because it uses a variety of seasonal vegetables and is extremely simple to put together.

A layering of vegetables, simmered in their own juices and olive oil, fragrant with saffron and paprika and preferably steamed tender in the clay utensil that is used throughout North Africa. You can also use a flat-bottomed deep-ish skillet with a tight-fitting lid.

I am looking forward to your thoughts and comments!

Photos of old Dubai taken from the blog Life in Dubai . Thank you!

10 edibles to grow in the smallest of spaces

2011-11-15T00:26:00.000-08:00

Things to consider before you head to a garden centre

Start with the right sized container- anything with a minimum depth of 6" and a drainage hole will do.
Consider going vertical - fix baskets on a balcony wall or buy a sturdy plant table to save space.
Good quality potting soil is enough to start the plants suggested here- you can boost your plants with plant food as they grow. More advice on fertilisers at the end.

You can grow any of these 10 edibles on your balcony. These plants are non-fussy and with some regular care, they will produce delicious, homegrown harvest for you all through the UAE winter/spring.

1- Rocket A couple of rocket/arugula plants will keep you in this spicy salad leaf all season. Sow directly and thin to the two or three healthiest looking seedlings.

2- Basil Easy to germinate and easy to maintain, the herb is best grown from seed. Start seeds in small pots or sow directly but don't sow more than a couple of seeds to a medium sized pot. Pinch growing tip when plant is a foot or just under. This will make it bush out nicely. In my kitchen, basil seems to end up in all sorts of dishes, from rice to sandwiches. What about yours?

3- Mint Have you tried to pop a sprig of supermarket mint into a pot in the hope of seeing it grow? If it's always died on you, here's what you need to do. Take a sprig of mint that's as fresh as you can get, cut it to about 8 cm long and put into a pot filled with moist soil. Water deeply and put the pot upright into a plastic bag. Tie the bag up above the mint. Place the bag in a secure, slightly shaded spot. Check every other day for moisture. In around a week, you should see new growth sprouting on the mint sprig. Your mint has rooted and will now grow without fuss. And every time you water or pluck a few leaves, the most wonderful minty aroma will waft up to your nose.

4- Radish Did you know that some varieties of radish such as French Breakfast take as little as 3 weeks to grow from seed to spicy crunchy radishes? The best vegetable to grow if you are looking for quick gratification. Sprinkle seeds in a medium sized pot. Thin to about 2 inches apart if the seedlings seem too thick. Use the thinnings in salad. There's more vitamin C in radish leaves than in the actual radish itself!

5- Green Onions Start from seed, broadcasting them thinly on top of the soil. Cover lightly with a layer of soil, pat down and water generously. These small seeds have a tendency to blow away and end up in other pots or disappear altogether. Did you know that you can also plant the white ends of supermarket spring onions and they will sprout new greens? You can just snip a bit of the greens off every time and the onions will grow back. Give it a try this year. I think young green onions add so much to soups and omelettes!

6- Baby Carrots Growing carrots is simpler than it sounds. Carrots actually don't like soil that's very rich so here's an idea for you to try. Take a bag of good quality potting soil. Make a couple of holes along one side seam. Place the bag so that the intact seam faces up. Split this seam open. Water the soil throughly until you see water draining out of the bag. The next day, sow a neat row of carrot seeds along the open seam. As the seedling sprout and grow, thin to about 2 inches apart. Try varieties that mature in 60 days.

7- Coriander No none of that soaking or splitting seeds. Just make slight indentations all over the soil with your finger and push seeds in. Water generously. Some varieties of coriander are even 'cut and come again'. When you have nice healthy growth, snip some stalks off, a couple of inches from the ground and see if they grow back. If not, make regular sowings every 2 weeks. It's best to keep two pots going for a ready supply.

8- Pak Choi There's nothing like snipping off a few fresh leaves of pak choi for your stir fry. Sow no more than 4-5 seeds in a container and in around 60 days, you should be able to harvest young pak choi leaves.You won't run out as these leaves will just keep growing back throughout the season.

9- Tiny Tim Tomatoes This variety of cherry tomato is so forgiving, it will even fruit in a 6 inch pot. But it will do infinitely better in a reasonable space. One or two plants should be enough for daily salads.

10- Lettuce If you can get hold of some mixed cut and come again lettuce, you can grow it easily all the way from november to march, given some shade. Harvest leaves young or they will go woody and bitter very quickly. If you have seeds for lettuce varieties such as gem, cos or romaine, you may need a bigger container to ensure regular supply. How about using a multiple shoe pocket thing that you can hang on a wall in your balcony?One seed per pocket, sown successively. I have seen this on some gardening blogs and am itching to give it a try. Just haven't get hold of any shoe pockets yet. Wherever I ask seems to have run out!

How do I fertilise my balcony edibles?
For green plants such as basil, coriander, green onions and lettuce, you need to use an all-purpose plant food with equal numbers of NPK. N is the Nitrogen that plants need for good leafy growth.

Radishes and carrots don't like being fed too much unless their green foliage looks unhealthy. In that case, apply a soluble plant food high in P (phosphate) and K (potassium). P and K is what's needed for good flower and root growth (this can just be a tomato fertiliser). Too much N will give you lush foliage but gnarled, stumpy, bitter carrots at best. And trust me there's nothing more disappointing than that after the long wait.

For tomatoes, use a balanced NPK fertiliser until flowers appear. Switch to tomato fertiliser after that. For more info, read our post on growing tomatoes.
How often should I water?
Remember the smaller the pot, the quicker it dries out. So water every day or at least every other day. Avoid watering overhead, directing it to the base of the plant and the root zone.
How much sunlight do my plants need?
Semi-shade does best in our parts of the world. However, move things around to find out how your plants grow best. If plants wilt in the hottest part of the day, they may be getting more sun than they need.
When should I worry?

If new leaves on your lettuce, basil, coriander, mint, grow a lighter green than they should be, your plant may be suffering from a nitrogen or magnesium deficiency. Don't worry. Just pick it up and give it a hug. I mean, show it some love and feed with some plant food. Its should bounce back within a week or so.

Check Dubai Garden Centre for Baby Carrot, Tiny Tim Tomato, Pak Choi and Lettuce Mix seeds from the Yates brand. Other suggested seeds are available in Carrefour.

Beyond a Blue Gate in Oman

2011-11-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

'I can't not look what lies behind this blue gate' I tell my husband, the seat belt unclipping with a resolute sound. He gives me one of his looks but bless him, he never says why. Driving into Oman from the Hatta border, I have caught glimpses of farms all along the Batinah coast- date palms swaying against the rain-washed sky, groves of coconut, papaya and banana trees, green carpets of mustard and spinach behind closed gates and wire fences.

Just inside the blue gate, a couple of Bengali men are washing their clothes. They wave us in. It appears to be a small private farm. Palm-shaded paths lead off into a couple of directions, peaceful and dappled in the late afternoon light.

'Mama, look we found an Aubengine!' The girls squeal, slightly ahead of us.

I linger by a mango tree, fingering the long stiff-edged leaves. It hits me that I hadn't really seen one since the mango tree outside my grandma's house died. The story goes that one summer day my dad ate a mango and buried the seed into a hole outside the house. The tree grew strong against all odds. Much happened around the house- new storeys added for newly married sons, municipality footpaths, a garage built within an inch of the trunk for my dad's first car. But the tree grew on and brought us an enviable mango harvest year after year, not to mention neighbourhood boys who whiled away their afternoons by throwing stones at the fruit. A few years ago, my grandma passed away too. The neighbourhood had already been changing, bare of trees and lined with vehicles and renovated houses. The last Peepul tree in front of the cricket ground had been cut for new electricity cables. But by then, I had already moved on and away.

This Omani mango tree is still young and obviously the preferred laundry hanger for the workers. In the forty five yeas grandma's tree lived, it grew grand, its roots spread deep and wide under the concrete of the street. From our first floor balcony, we used to be able to see the sparrows, crows and lizards that lived under the lush canopy. But looking back, I don't think I ever took the time to wonder at this thing living cheek and jowl with us. I was too busy growing up, being a city girl.

Walking along the Falaj that runs under the date palms, we come to a banana orchard. Aren't the big, glossy leaves just gorgeous? So this is how bananas look on a tree, we all seem to be thinking. There's something near awe and reverence in the way we touch the unripe bunches hanging low on the trees. Back near the water channel, pink dragonflies buzz and hover around us, protective of their territory.

It's funny that we have come to Oman for a holiday in the desert but all we have seen so far are things green and growing. At first I wasn't too sure about a desert break, despairing at the thought of a bare and brown landscape. Just goes to show how little I know. In the desert too, life pulses on. Thorn Trees dot the resort. Birds twitter. The sky itself seems to be more alive here, each sunrise and sunset nothing less than a colour and light show. At night, the sky's black velvet is thick with stars. That's another thing that hits me- when was the last time I really saw stars?

The girls are besotted with the camels. Zola, Salman and Baraaq arrive every morning with their bedouin owners to offer rides around the resort. They have eyelashes a girl would kill for.

Back in Dubai, my plants are thriving despite my four day absence. The drip system seems to be serving its purpose. Deep down I know that whatever else I may become, I will always be a city girl. And much as I love open fields and rustic farms, I will always come back to the intimacy of an urban garden. The contrast of a 34 floor high-rise and a modest collection of vegetable plants right at the base of it gives me a real kick.

How to grow Tomatoes in a container on your balcony

2011-10-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, when I tell people I grow vegetables, they assume I live in a villa with a huge garden. I actually live in an apartment and although, I do have a large terrace, I believe there's no reason why you can't grow food on your balcony if you set your heart on it. Honestly, when I started last year, I had never so much as SEEN a tomato plant, let alone grow one. Once I started, I expected my plants to die every day. Surprise, surprise, they didn't just NOT die on me, they gave me absolutely gorgeous loads of ripe, fresh fruit from January all the way into April.

So here's how you can go about growing a tomato plant on a balcony/terrace or in a container in your garden...

Shopping List
To start

Tomato seeds
4-8" pot or plastic cup with a small hole in the base
Potting soil (50l )
Watering can

For your growing plant

Cosmoplast container or bucket(50l)
Compost bag (50l) or Granular fertiliser (small pack)
Water-soluble general-purpose plant food and tomato plant food (optional)
Tall bamboo cane or stake
Plant ties or nylon socks

Choose seeds

Start with Franchi , Alta Selezione or any of the other brands available in Carrefour/Geant/Lulu and plant nurseries such as the ones in Satwa (on the Maya/Laal Supermarket road near the bus station).

Sow seeds
October, in my view, is the best time in the UAE to sow seeds outdoors. There's still time in the first half of november for you to get going. Use plastic cups, newspaper tubes, toilet roll tubes, egg cartons, yoghurt pots or buy seed trays- anything will do but I do recommend you sow your seeds in a small container to start with. Fill it up with potting soil, dampen it with water and making a slight hole with your finger, drop a seed in. Cover with soil and water again, gently, with a watering can. Check everyday and keep soil moist at all times. Don't drown your seed by overwatering!

Fill up big bucket
If you are using a bucket (the cheaper option at 21 Dhs), drill a couple of drainage holes in the bottom. Next, I suggest you improve your soil to give your plant the best headstart.
You can:

Use 50:50 potting soil and compost to fill your bucket.
Use only potting soil and add recommended quantities of granular GrowMore or other all-purpose inorganic fertilisers available in supermarkets. Don't confuse these with water-soluble fertilisers, often sold as 'plant food'.

Whichever option you choose, water your pots deeply and leave for a couple of days before transplanting.

Transplant
At the right time! Leave your growing seedlings in their small pots for too long and they'll start going all sad-looking and spindly on you. Those rapidly growing roots need space. See our tips for transplanting here.

Water
Religiously! Ahhhh, this in my opinion is where the real labour of love starts. We have no rainfall to fall back on. Get yourself a nice watering can as you'll be using it quite a bit. It really depends on how much the temperatures drop but I find that up until the end of November, you need to water everyday, early in the morning or late in the evening. Water deeply until the top of the soil is thoroughly wet and water drains from the pot. Always water near the base of the plant rather than overhead. For December and January, you can probably get away with watering every other day.

A word about the ideal amount of sunshine for your tomato plant- try to position it so that it receives 2-4 hours of sunlight in a day, preferably the gentler morning sun or later afternoon sun.

Prune and Stake
Drive a stake or bamboo pole into your bucket a few centimetres from the plant. As the main stem grows, tie it to the stake at intervals, using plant ties or nylon socks. If your seed packet says your tomato is the indeterminate type (get big, produce all season), you have the choice to prune. Pruning basically involves removing the suckers- these are the little shoots you find growing in the v-shaped point between your main stem and a branch. If not pinched as soon as they appear, they will develop into individual stems with their own fruit-bearing branches. If you get lazy like me and forget to prune,your plants will get very big and top heavy. This definitely means more produce but may result in smaller tomatoes. If you are growing Determinate tomatoes such as Roma, there is no need to prune as they have a much more compact growing habit.

Fertilise
When it comes to fertilisers, we are not spoilt for choice in our part of the world. Having said that, if you start with improved soil as outlined above, your tomatoes are already on their way to healthy growth and produce. But tomatoes are heavy feeders and will do better if fertilised periodically and when flowers and fruit appear.

Choose from:

General purpose water soluble plant food until first flowers appear. After that, switch to plant food especially formulated for tomatoes, with high potassium levels. These are easily available in supermarkets under various brand names. Always stick to the regime and quantity suggested on the pack. Nutrients from a liquid fertiliser are immediately available to the plant but also leach out relatively quickly due to frequent watering.
Slow-release granular fertilisers such as Growmore. Rake and water recommended quantity into the top couple of inches of the soil around your plant.
For those who want to go the organic way, top with compost or vermicompost, both available from Shalimar.
For extra TLC this year, I am looking forward to trying a product called Bio-Vita from Shalimar herbals- a liquid plant tonic containing seaweed extract, humid acid, Niacin, folic acid and other nutrients.

Don't let the pests pester you too much
In my experience, the first to arrive are the leaf miners. Often, gardeners despair at the first sight of them, burrowing their way into the much-loved, tender young leaves. But really, much as I worked myself up into a frenzy last year, I found that they cannot do much harm, especially once the plant is a little established. As long as the seedlings sprouts new growth steadily, it will be alright.
Another problem you may see earlier on is curling/discolouring of the leaf edges. Usually, it's a case of water stress- your young plants not getting enough water.
Once your plant is producing tomatoes, you may notice something called Blossom End Rot, a dark patch at the base of your tomatoes. Again, usually a case of water stress.
Ofcourse, there are many many other things that can go wrong with your tomato plants but more often than not, they don't. So I suggest you don't let your imagination and your Googling run away with you and scare you off growing tomatoes even before you start.

Instead, just throw a couple of seeds into some soil and see what happens. I promise, you'll learn so much in one year, you'll never need to come back here. But do! We'd love to hear your tomato growing stories.

Also, any other ideas, products, comments are welcome!

Shalimar Herbals 009714 2239474

Next Steps: Tips for transplanting and an invitation to a garden(ing) party

2011-10-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

While learning about growing vegetables, you often come across the words 'transplanting' or 'pricking out'. When I first began gardening last year, I didn't trust myself to get anything right- what do you mean I need to pull out a happily growing seedling and trasns-plant it? How on earth....and so on.

But as I had gone on with my beginner's enthusiasm to plant about 25 tomato seeds in my seed tray, you can imagine just how much transplanting was staring me in the face. And when the weather gets right here, it really does get right- things begin to grow at an almost unbelievable rate. If you leave your rapidly growing seedlings in their tiny pots for too long, you are restricting their growth as the roots have nowhere to go. You can usually see them forcing their way through the drainage holes of the little pots. Being constricted, they also come under water stress and hence become more prone to pests and other problems. So yes, you gotta get down to it and somehow work up as much enthusiasm for transplanting as you did for the sowing!

The good thing about having loads of seedlings to transplant it is that after a couple you really get the hang of it and start having some fun, unless of course your knees are screaming with pain....

The best way to go about transplanting:
1- Prepare Have the pots prepared with soil and compost. Have filled watering can to hand.
3- Time Do it in the early morning or late afternoon, always in a bit of shade.
4- Be gentle Never PULL at the stem to get the plant out. Instead, turn the pot over in your hand. Thwack firmly at the bottom until the seedling, along with the soil comes loose.
5- Plonk. Pat. Water. I have never needed to nudge out the roots from the root ball as many gardening sources suggest. I just plonk the whole thing into a hole in the soil of the new pot. Pat down gently and water deeply. That's it. All done!
6- 2 stage or 3?Most books suggest pricking out your seedlings, especially tomatoes, aubergines and peppers in 3 stages. In our weather, I don't see the need for it. I just transplanted my tomato seedlings in 20 ltr Cosmoplast buckets today- their final growing place and hopefully one they like!
7- Don't be stingy on container size The bigger the better. Don't give in to the temptation of buying smaller pots (less money, plant more etc.). You'll regret it. They dry out very quickly. They blow over with the wind. And they result in smaller plants or less produce than you could have had in a bigger pot.
8- Don't plant too close On average, most plants such as tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers need at least 12-18" between plants. The more space the better. There are exceptions such as beans that can be planted at 3-6" apart. try and follow the instructions on the seed packet. The spacing obviously doesn't apply to plants in individual containers but see the note about container size above.
8- A note for transplanting tomatoes Take all except the top two leaves off the seedling. Bury all the way up to the leaves. The little 'hair' you see on the main stem of the young plant will send out roots and make your growing plant strong and sturdy. And believe me, with the crazy winds we get here in the UAE, you really need deeply rooted plants.

And do stop for a break or you'll be crashing on the sofa all evening, like me....

We spent almost the entire day outside transplanting today, fitting in a trip to the car wash, library and Lulu in between. Sara is a great little helper to have around. She helped me fill up all the pots with soil, make the trips inside to fill up the watering can and sweep up the terrace once we finished. By then, it was almost 5 and time for a fruit break. So out came the new picnic blanket I found in Tchibo and all the fruit the girls had picked in Lulu.

All this transplanting is of course also in anticipation of the Planting Party on Tuesday, Nov 1 at my place in The Greens, Dubai. A bunch of us are going to swap and sow seeds and seedlings, talk gardening and just have fun sharing tips and advice about growing things in the UAE. Anyone from experienced to complete beginner is welcome. Whether you have a garden or a balcony, come along to find out how to start growing your own vegetables.

See you then.

Happy Gardening!

The Pink Post: The Watermelon and Mango Soup that turned out to be juice (and not quite so pink)

2011-10-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

At 19, you just cannot imagine your mother dying. Not even when you are told that she has breast cancer and must undergo a surgery immediately. The thought never even crossed my mind. I don't know if I was just naive or foolish or arrogant as young people often can be, in the face of a calamity. But I do know that I am very very blessed. Today Alhamdulillah, almost ten years later, my beautiful, brave mother is still alive and healthy.

But I have grown afraid. Myself a mother now, I am often fearful and anxious about the future. What if my mother hadn't survived? What if I have inherited the dangerous cancer gene? What about my girls?

I have no experience in food writing or food photography, or any kind of photography to be perfectly honest. So I told myself, I am holding up the Pink Post because I am wrapping my head around taking pictures with sticky hands but in truth, i think I am actually still wrapping my head around what my mother must have gone through back then. I feel it now, Ammi and this post is for you!

The girls kept taking away chunks of 'smelon' while puzzling over why mama was standing on top of a chair with her camera!

So after rejecting radishes, beetroots and strawberries, i settled on watermelon, having convinced myself that there are many many shades of pink. However, to my delight in Carrefour, I came across pink mangoes with pretty names like Sunblush. Perfect, as the recipe for the post was going to be a raw Watermelon and Mango Soup.

The pretty pink was used to line the mango carton in carrefour- perfect!

But honestly, drinking the 'soup' with a spoon would have been torture at best. You'd have seen my hair grey. So i accepted that it was just good old watermelon juice, so popular in our UAE restaurants. Except that this one has mango blended into it which gives it a nice creamy texture and a bit of a tangy kick. And oh, the mint is an absolute must!! It quadruples the refreshing factor of the drink.

Heba, the fairy

The not-very-pink juice

To make 2 glasses of Watermelon and Mango Juice, you need

3 cups watermelon chunks
11/2 cups ripe mango chunks
7-8 fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup cold water

Whizz up all ingredients together in a blender until smooth and serve chilled.

Enjoy!

Making a bed for the Brassicas-Cabbage, Cauliflower, Pak Choi and Radish goes in

2011-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

If you are just rediscovering cabbages and cauliflowers and trying to remember why you loathed them so all those years of your life, you know you are getting older. And wiser. It's probably not your fault though. You can blame your mum. Or your dad. My mother often cooked cauliflower and meat curry on a weekend and the sulphurous odour totally put us off. Then dad always ate way too much of it and complained endlessly about flatulence. No wonder, we never looked at the poor, humble vegetable with anything but loathing and often sulked our way into the kitchen to practice our potato-chip making skills.

For cabbage, we never had a lot of varieties- only white cabbage and that was acceptable in coleslaw, chicken sandwiches and stir fries. Radish was a seasonal affair- the long white 'Mooli' that we didn't mind so much in salads. Other Brassica members such as Kale, Broccoli or Pak Choi were unheard of in the bazaars until recently.

Cabbages I picked up in Sharjah plant souk to see how they develop

My first foray into growing Brassicas was a container of Pak Choi here in Dubai last year. It was unbelievably trouble-free and just kept coming and coming as a cut and come again crop. It was ready to harvest within 60 days of germination, by the first week of December and given some shade didn't bolt until almost the end of April. In the end, I was almost sick of it. So I figure that growing other Brassicas shouldn't be too hard either. However, Pak Choi is an open headed cabbage and free of the intricacies of growing a perfect round, tightly wrapped white cabbage or a creamy white cauliflower head.

The abundant, lush Pak Choi from last season

Brave or foolish, here's how I am going about growing Pak Choi, radish, cauliflower and white cabbage.

Preparing the soil
Brassicas are very hungry feeders and need lots and lots of nutrients and moisture-retaining humus for healthy growth. Prepare your soil by adding lots of compost/well-rotted manure. During growth, especially as heads begin to form, top up with more compost or feed with a good, all-purpose liquid feed.

Sowing
Start cabbage and cauliflower in seed trays filled with 50:50 compost and potting soil. Direct sow the Pak Choi and radishes. You can also put cabbage and cauliflower directly into the soil. But I just find that sowing in seed trays gives me more time to think about final planting spot, spacing etc. Make sure they are well watered, at least once every day and get a minimum of two hours of sunlight.

The seeds I am sowing

Planting
Plant the seedlings with at least 8-12 inches between plants and rows in soil that has already been prepared. So I have a rectangular grow bed about 3.5 feet x 3 feet. I will have a row of cauliflower a row of cabbages and another of Pak Choi, all with eight inches between plants and about a foot between rows. For fun and quicker gratification, I am going to throw in a handful of french radish seeds along the edges.

You can use rectangular pots or shallow circular tubs. I find the cosmoplast tubs you can buy in supermarkets quite useful. Just drill a couple of drainage holes in the bottom ad you are all set. The good thing about these is that you don't need tons of soil to fill them all the way up.

A rough idea about how my brassica bed will hopefully look!

Pests
In general, I don't like knowing too much about the critters that can destroy your plants. Especially when I am growing them for the first time. Read more here about the nasties and how to fight them. Arm yourself with cabbage collars, insecticidal soap, Neem oil, a powerful hose, a torch and an inexhaustible will to fight. And if you are squeamish about squishing slugs and caterpillars with your bare hands, well then, good luck to you!

I am a cucumber, no I am a melon, no actually I am a gourd!

2011-10-13T04:46:00.000-07:00

I did try and go all botanical by trying to establish some sort of family tree for my courgettes, bottle gourds and cucumbers but after quite a bit of googling I have merely found out that they are indeed all cousins in the large cucurbit family and that melons are also somehow a part of the big, happy picture.

Lauki/Bottle Gourd seedlings bursting into the sunlight

On top of that a lot of them seem to have interchanging names- Armenian Cucumber is also called a Snake Melon, a Lebanese Zucchini is also a Baby Marrow, a Bottle Gourd also goes by the names of Long Melon, Opo Squash or Calabash...you get my drift. To me however, a cucumber is a 'kheera', a bottle gourd 'lauki' and the closest thing we had to a courgette, while growing up in Karachi, was 'turai'. Thank God however that nature has made it simpler for us to identify veg through our senses and memories- the crispness of a Kheera with coarse sea salt, mushy lauki added to chana daals and goat meat curries or fried with cardamoms and sugar into a sticky, sweet Halwa (talk about the blandness of a vegetable translating into versatility)- these are some of the meals my mum cooked.

This year, my dad has lovingly sent me lauki seeds from Pakistan. The seedlings are already coming along nicely and I am planning to grow a couple of them into a pretty, shade-giving arbour. The rest I will probably give away when more established. Let me know if you are interested.

Cucumber, courgette and bottle gourd seedlings

In our warm winters, growing cucurbits should be a breeze. But there are certain things you need to look out for...

Cucurbits are into

Warmth and sunshine- we have plenty of that even in our winters.
Rich soil- add lots of compost and you will have more fruit on your hand than you know what to do with.
Lots of water- the water content of cucurbit fruits is high so not surprising that they demand attention in this aspect. Can be a bit hard to keep up with it in our dry climes but early morning watering is the best, giving the leaves a chance to dry off before the hot sunshine hits them. Mulching is also good for conserving moisture.

Cucurbits are not into

Overcrowding- two's company three's a crowd. Most definitely. If you have a plot, give each fellow plenty of space. They like to sprawl and climb and spread all around with their huge leaves. If like me, you garden in pots or grow bags, make sure the plants are at least 45 cm apart. A large deep circular pot or a metre long rectangular pot with a trellis placed behind it are both good choices and easily available in the supermarkets.

Dear old Google also furnished me with a few interesting facts such as

Some people cannot tell the difference between a cucumber and a courgette.
A paint brush is handy when your courgettes refuse to mate.
The private life of cucumbers is more complex than the rest of its cousins.
Cucumbers are fruits while courgettes are vegetables but in truth courgettes are immature fruits being the swollen ovary of a female courgette flower.

Fertlising
Before any blooms appear, you can use an all-purpose fertilizier, liquid or granular, following the instructions on the pack. Once flowering, switch to a higher potassium fertiliser toe ensure you get nice veg and not just lots of lush leaf growth. Personally, I wouldn't bother using anything artificial. Plenty of organic matter in my soil and I am keeping my fingers crossed. Also, throughout the growing season, I'll be throwing a topping of compost and vermi-compost( also available from Shalimar Herbals) at my cucurbits. And if the services of a paint brush become necessary, I won't hesitate to 'do it' for my courgettes!

Pests
The dreaded 'a' word- Aphids ( I whisper). I personally have not been visited by the pests so far but I hear that Neem Oil Spray may help. Remove the affected leaves, plants, burn and PRAY!

Fooderatis Potluck, Edamame Addiction and Warm Glass Noodles with Tofu and Edamame (obviously)

2011-10-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

Driving to Devina's house yesterday, there were moments of panic- what exactly am I doing turning up at a potluck with Dubai's food divas, holding a bowl of noodles that I had never made before let alone tested on anyone. Add to that the unfortunate reality that I am just not one of those lucky people who can walk into a room full of total strangers and feel right at ease. Still, I like to challenge myself and in this case, the challenge didn't prove too hard anyway- the big, warm smile on Devina's face, the enthusiastic welcome from everyone and the spread on the table- oh my- the yummy treats on the table left no doubt in mind that for once I had landed at the right place at just the right time. From a lentil salad to Moroccan Zaalouk to vietnamese spring rolls to meringue pies and the most delicious zucchini cake ever.

The ladies liked the glass noodles. And I think it's going to become a regular on ~~my table~~ my plate. You see, I am not sure Nasser will find it filling enough unless there was probably a batch of spring rolls (i did rave on about Sandy's spring rolls from the FIA potluck) on the side and the kids will just refuse all the 'bits'. This seems to be an increasingly frequent problem with our family meals. More and more, I seem to crave light, clean and simple food- beans, lentils, greens, stir-fried veg...you get my drift...

These days, I seem to have become addicted to edamame. I can't seem to get enough of these young, nutritious soya beans, lightly boiled and added to salads, noodles, rice make for great colour. They are an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates and fibre, low in fat and big on taste and texture.

My newest cookbook acquisition- Ottolenghi's Plenty uses plenty of edamame along with all my other favourite veg. This is the first of the famous chef's recipes I have tried out and I have to say it went way beyond my expectations in terms of taste, texture and ease of making. Do try it out and let me know what you think...

Warm Glass Noodles with Tofu and Edamame from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty

Ingredients

250g glass or cellophane noodles

2 tbsp sunflower oil3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

300g (net weight) cooked edamame beans, podded

3 spring onions, including the green parts, thinly sliced

1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped, plus a few whole leaves for garnish

3 tbsp mint leaves, shredded

3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

3 tbsp roasted peanut halves

300 g tofu, cubed and deep-fried until crisp

For the sauce

4 limes, juiced

2 tbsp grated galangal (or ginger)

3 tbsp groundnut oil

2 tbsp palm sugar

2 tsp tamarind paste

1 tsp Tamari soy sauce

1 tsp fine sea salt

Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot water until soft - about five minutes. Be careful not to leave them in the water for too long because they can go soggy. Strain and leave to dry.

In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or a wok and add the garlic. As it starts to turn golden, remove the pan from the heat and add the sauce and noodles. Gently mix together, add most of the edamame, the onions, chilli, tofu, peanuts and fresh herbs. Stir while you return the pan to the heat for a few seconds, just to heat through, taste and add salt if you like.

Pile up the noodles on a large platter or in a shallow bowl, scatter over the reserved edamame and the sesame seeds, and garnish with the whole coriander leaves. You can also serve the dish at room temperature, in which case adjust the seasoning just before you do so.

The above picture was my breakfast this morning and hence looks a bit lacklustre.

The cucumbers beat everyone else to it!

2011-10-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

The heat that's still lingering on must be working wonders for the germination of my seeds. In less than three days, the cucumber seedlings have burst their way through the soil and are standing tall and proud.

I am growing two varieties of cucumbers- Marketmore and Armenian Cucumber or Kakri, as it is known in the subcontinent. Marketmore is a home growers slicing favourite perfect for sandwiches and salads. I did grow some last year although having left the planting too late into the spring, I had a brief but beautiful harvest before the plants succumbed to the heat. The produce disappeared all too quickly into egg sandwiches and a couple of green juices.

Kakri is a vegetable from my childhood. Botanically, it's classified as a melon but tastes and looks somewhat like a cucumber. It had a very brief season in the Karachi winters. When Ammi used to come back from the market, the long, ribbed kakri would be peeping out from the bags and would be sliced or cut into sticks immediately to be eaten with a bit of salt and pepper. If a rice dish such as kichdi or pea pulao was on menu for lunch, Ammi grated the Kakri into yoghurt for raita. Yumm. During my years in London, I completely forgot about it but am looking forward to introducing my kids to it.

Some tips about growing cucumbers:

1- They are very thirsty plants, right from when they germinate. If you see the seedlings droop, they are coming under water stress. I have been watering mine at least twice a day.
2- As soon as they spout their first true leaf, I'll be looking to transplant them into bigger pots. This will ensure availability of more nutrients and also greater moisture retention due to size of pots.
3-When you transplant them into the final pot, make sure a trellis or net is already in place for the vines to climb.

Happy gardening!

What I call Black Gold- the soil and compost has arrived!

2011-10-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

When it comes to planting medium, there are a few things I am slowly beginning to work out.

What is the difference between potting soil and compost?
Exactly where do I find compost in the UAE?
How do I keep soil costs down?

Right, so from what I understand, potting soil is the main growing medium but it is low in nutrients and cannot be used on its own to grow vegetables. It can be particularly low in minerals and humus. Compost is mainly well-rotten organic material with a mixture of green (food waste, plant remains) and brown (paper, dried leaves) matter. It helps improve your soil and introduces much needed nutrients to it. You can make it at home using compost bins. In the UAE, Bokashi does compost bins for around USD 76.

The garden workers I spoke to here had no idea what I was talking about when I said 'compost' and answered mainly by scratching their heads. They knew their soil and fertiliser and medicine but not compost. The lady at the garden centre assured me that the potting soil was compost. And since I didn't know anything anyway, I just gave up on compost and went down the route of using organic well-rotten farmyard manure from the UK (sounds appealing, doesn't it) but honestly, that's what made it all grow for me I believe.

But this year, I have not just found compost, I have found 100% vegetarian bio-organic compost from Shalimar Herbals. It was delivered today by two pathan lads who didn't understand why someone living in an apartment wanted 10 bags of the stuff. But they were nice and gave me a free bag of potting soil in addition to the 10 I already bought.

And that leads to the issue of cost. I am going to let you in on a secret- order directly from Shalimar Herbals (http://www.shalimarherbals.com/). They sell at wholesale prices and deliver for free. The same 50 ltr bag of potting soil costs at least 30-50% more in the supermarkets. Plus, the compost is not retailed anyway. You can only buy it directly from the company.

Happy gardening!

A few tips for growing vegetables with children

2011-10-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

As the girls ran out on to the terrace in the cool of the early morning, the first question they asked was 'Are we doing the seeds today?!' They have been asking me this ever since we got the seed packets in our mail box. They love pronouncing all the names of the vegetables even though they refuse to eat most of them. Still, i think, it will pay to spark their interest. I am pretty sure i refused Spinach until the age of twenty. This year, we have also been doing some informal unit studies about seeds, vegetables and gardening in general. Just stuff like making stamps from potatoes, cutting out veg and fruit pictures from magazines, discussing how seeds grow etc. The long summer finally seems to be on the way out and it's a relief to be able to let them out on the terrace and get all hands on. We got some excellent bargain in outdoor toys from Dubizzle- a play house, a plastic slide and lovely handmade doll house. The girls love them.

I have to confess that I feel a bit too precious about my vegetable seedlings and plants. I get nervous when the kids play around with them. While I am learning to relax about it, I gave each of them a little plastic pot to fill up with soil and plant a tomato seed. I felt quite magnanimous but saw that Sara was frowning.

'Mama what seed is this?'
'Tomato...'
She looked at me for a long moment then shook her head with a tchhh.
'Mama- Do I EAT tomatoes?
You should have given me cucumber or carrot seeds!'

Oops!

Here's what I have learnt from gardening with my kids...

1- Let them sow what they like along with other robust choices such as tomato and quick-growing options such as rocket, radish and salad leaves. Growing a vegetable they don't normally eat may encourage them to give it a try.

2-If you can, buy them little plastic watering cans. My girls seem to love the watering bit. They think it's all very grown up.

3- Painting plain ceramic or terracotta pots can be great fun. Let them paint their names, the vegetable or just splash around a bit.

4- To get their interest going while the seeds are germinating, buy a couple of vegetable or flower seedlings if possible. In Dubai, it's easy and cheap to get hold of a few marigold seedlings at around 2 dhs each. Give them a couple of those to look after. Plus Marigolds are also great companions for tomatoes and other vegetables. Apparently aphids can't stand their smell. They are a pretty sight too. Perhaps give them an idea about how we can protect plants from bugs through natural methods.

5- When the plants bear flowers, explain why they must not pick them. My younger daughter Heba does not in general like leaving flowers on plants.

6- Talk about plant food and let them help you top up the beds or pots with some compost.

7- Let them touch and smell the leaves. Almost every plant has its own particular texture and fragrance.

8- When the vegetables arrive, have a garden party for your kids and their friends. String up some bunting, spread out some cupcakes, sandwiches and home-grown veg crudités and enjoy the beautiful, brief UAE winter. If your kids like, let them give their friends a guided tour of the vegetable garden. If you have plenty, let each kid take a small fresh vegetable basket home.

Happy gardening with your little ones!

Time to Get Sowing!

2011-10-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

You can feel it getting cooler in the UAE although the sun still has that scorching edge in the afternoons.
What I learnt from my gardening adventures last year tells me that the time is just about right to sow seeds for the nightshade family- tomatoes, aubergines and peppers both hot and sweet.

Here's what you need:

Potting Soil- Shalimar or Desert group are the ones I come across the most.

Seed Trays or you can use paper cups, egg cartons, small yoghurt pots with drainage holes punched out or even toilet roll tubes. I use seed trays simply because they are reusable from year to year and also do not get blown away by the wind. When you sow seeds in small pots, the seedlings have a chance to develop good, strong root balls. When you transplant or 'prick out' your seedlings into bigger pots, you give your plant a chance to grow strong and sturdy rather than leggy and weak.

Seeds- This is by far the most fun part- choosing your varieties. Last year, I just picked whatever I could find in the supermarkets. This year I have indulged myself and ordered seeds from online catalogues from the US and UK. I was also quite keen to try some varieties from the subcontinent and have managed to get hold of a few.

Tomatoes

Last year I used the Franchi tomato seed packets for a general salad tomato variety and for plum tomatoes, the Roma variety. Both grew extremely well and produced prolifically.

This year I have got Moneymaker & San Marzano.

Moneymaker is a heirloom, open-pollinated variety extremely popular among home growers. The fact that it needs insects like bees to pollinate the flowers is worrying me now since I have never seen any around. I bought too much into the whole heirloom thing I suppose but time will tell if my plants attract any bees.

San Marzano too is a heirloom- a popular Italian plum variety, apparently the greatest sauce tomato in the world! It is meaty, with few seeds and less water content than other tomatoes.And that's the idea since the family loves pasta so much and I am a bit bored with sauces from jars.

Aubergines

Last year I grew Yates Black Beauty bought from Dubai Garden Centre. They were a resounding success. In fact I had so many healthy, fruit bearing plants i didn't know what to do with them.

This year we are trying Bharata Star, Anamika, Violet Prince and Black Beauty.

As you can see I got tempted by quite a few aubergine varieties while seed shopping. Both the flowers and fruits are so pretty- I had to get them in various shades and sizes.

Peppers

Last year, I didn't have a lot of success with The California Wonder and Jalapeño peppers that I tried to grow. The reason may have been overcrowding of the plants and thrips, a certain type of bug that affects chilli and rose plants.

This year I have got varieties from the subcontinent as well South East Asia-Indian Jwala, Thai Chilli, Sweet Pimiento and Bell Pepper.

Let's see what happens. I do use a lot of chillies in my cooking, especially for flavouring the oil for curries before throwing the onion and spices in. So really hoping I get as prolific a crop as I have heard other growers do!

How to go about sowing

1- Soap and rinse your seed trays.
2- Scoop out potting soil into the small pots. Pat it down and water evenly with a watering can until soil is moist but not soaking wet.
3- Push down in the middle of the soil surface with your finger and drop in one or two seeds into each pot.
4- Cover lightly with soil and water again.
5- Keep soil surface moist at all times.
6- Germination should take somewhere between 7-10 days at around 21- 34 C.

Happy gardening!