With the growing trend in the farm-to-table movement that has shaped the current food trends, we have become more interested in where our food has come from, not only in restaurants, but when buying produce to cook at home too. Here at Circulon, we understand that the quality of the ingredients you cook with is key in producing the best meals possible.
So, with that in mind, the idea of growing your own food sounds like the perfect solution to knowing exactly where your fresh produce has come from. However, we also know that it’s not as easy as it sounds for some.
If you live in a rural area and have the green space to grow your own fruit and vegetables, you may already be experiencing the benefits and satisfaction of growing you own food. In more urban areas, this is not quite as easy. Many people who have a passion for cooking and gardening grow their own fruit and vegetables by any means possible, no matter where their location. However, some of you may still struggle with a concept that seems very appealing, but seems not as easy as you’d like it to be.
No backyard, no problem! There’s a number of fool-proof ways to growing your own produce from the comfort of your own home in city centres. Some of which include growing on a smaller scale than if you had your very own luxury allotment, these include utilising potted vegetables and fruits such as chillies, peppers, herbs and spinach for example. These items are easy to look after and are happy growing from a pot on your kitchen windowsill.
One top tip includes using old tea cups, perfectly sized to hold a handful of staple herbs including basil, cilantro, oregano and parsley. Just imagine adding a bit of this and a bit of that to your food throughout the cooking process, allowing you to experiment with your own produce…
Some of the best herbs to grow indoors from a south facing window are tarragon, sage, rosemary and oregano, whereas bay, parsley and thyme grow best in a west or east facing window position with little attention. If you have a balcony, create your own little green space of gardening heaven (think of Roald Dahl’s 2015 film Esio Trot…). Not only can gardening be therapeutic after a day of living and working, you can take pleasure in growing potted fruit and veggies such as tomatoes and strawberries which thrive in containers and hanging baskets.
Taking inspiration from the book ‘Edible Cities’, written by Judith Anger, Immo Fiebrig and Martin Schnyder, some people take a more unconventional standing on growing fruit and veg in space starved cities… In Detroit, USA, the fallen public infrastructure, job losses and increasing poverty has forced residents to take matters into their own hands. For many impoverished and unemployed people, starting to grow their own food is an obvious route to take. This has forced the residents to become more creative, for example; growing produce from abandoned buildings and creating raised beds from old tyres, showing that whatever it takes, anyone can experience the benefits homegrown produce.
In America, an organisation called My Green Space has the sole mission to ‘help millions of people experience the benefits of growing their own food.’ They believe that every space deserves a garden, and to help people embrace this, they have developed an app to assist food growth with confidence. In addition, they also provide seed bundles and planter boxes perfect for Juliette balcony’s and other small spaces.
There’s a number of benefits you can experience from growing your own food, which include,
-You know where your food originated
-Fresh produce is full of flavour meaning there’s no need to use extra artificial flavours meaning your food will taste of superior quality
-Lasts longer than shop-bought food which was already spent half of its live on the shelf
-No harmful chemicals are used
-You grow fruit and veggies in a variety of shapes and sizes which creates fun on the plate
-Your produce department is run by you!
There’s a whole new world out there waiting to grow and flourish for your home grown, home cooked dishes. Whether you are a rural resident or city dweller, there are no exceptions to growing your own fruit and veg to produce fresh, quality ingredients.
Our last top tip is to ensure you have the right tools for the job!
We’d love to hear your thoughts on growing you own food, so head over to our Facebook or Twitter page and let us know!