"THE GIANT TURNIP"

Remember that story.. "The Giant Turnip"? The one how the old man plants a turnip seed and it grows to be so enormous that it is too big for him to harvest on his own?? He calls to his wife who holds him tightly. Together they heave and strain to pull the gigantic vegetable out of the ground. Unfortunately, their combined strength is not enough. So the old lady calls to her son and the three of them together try, again with no success. The story continues, calling for more and more family and then eventually to their farm animal friends. By the end of the story, there is a long line of helpers and it is only when the smallest of them all, the mouse, joins the line that the turnip is finally pulled. Hoorah!! Together they share the feast!!

I loved that story as a child and it still conjours up wonderful meaning to me.

I believe it paints a picture of community spirit. Joining hands for the good of all. Sharing in the rewards, the fruits of our labour.

It also reminds me that even the tiniest of creatures have an important role to play in the cycle of life. Without them, there would be no gardens, no vegetables, no fruits to harvest. We need to be thankful for the little creatures of Earth by not poisoning their environment or destroying them with insecticides :)

Companion planting and natural "pest" deterrents are a much kinder, more economical and ultimately more successful way of gardening. There are many great books and sites on the internet that share a wealth of information on organic gardening.

A favourite Australian author of mine is Jackie French. Jackie has extensive knowledge and experience in natural, organic gardening. I love her writing style and sense of humour. Always a wonderful read. You can find a list of her gardening books here http://www.jackiefrench.com/gardenbooks.html

Share "The Giant Turnip" tale with your children. It will bring them much joy and will also deliver the subtle messages of community, selflessness, gratitude and respect. Afterwards, you may like to play in the kitchen together and cook up some yummy recipes using turnips as an ingredient.

I promise to post some soon, but for now.. baby wakes x

RAW KOHLRABI AND APPLE SLAW

During my online travels I have come across many salads that call for the amalgamation of Kohlrabi and Apple. Curious to see if these two flavours would work well together, I got to blending. The end result.. a light, crunchy, flavoursome dish. Served as an accompaniment to a main meal or equally appetizing on its own. Enjoy!

2 x Green Kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
4 x Red Apples, grated
2 x Celery Sticks, finely sliced
100g Flaked Almonds

Dressing
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbl xtra virgin olive oil
1 tbl raw Apple Cider vinegar
1 tbl Lemon Juice
pinch himalayan salt
1/2 cup organic mayonnaise/soy mayonnaise (optional - less crunchy :D)

1. Add salad ingredients to a bowl.

2. Mix dressing ingredients well together and pour over salad.

3. Stir gently to combine.

4. Garnish with a few more almonds and coriander leaves.

KOHLRABI

A German word meaning.. Kohl - Cabbage : Rabi - Turnip.

Not a common vegetable and one that is very much underestimated. It looks like it should be a root vegetable with it's bulbous nature but it is actually a member of the cruciferous family (cabbages).

Similar in taste to a turnip though milder and sweeter, Kohlrabi is very high in Vitamin C, particularly if eaten raw. It has good amounts of Magnesium and Phosphorus too which both aid in the absorption of Calcium.

I have seen recipes that Chop, Roast, Mash, Grate, Bake & Steam so it seems that the culinary uses of this vegetable are endless.

Right.. time to start experimenting! :)