Minigarden - Gourmet | Mini-Garden | o seu jardim em casa | a garden in your home

Artichoke

Scientific Name: Cynara scolymus L. Familly: Compostas Origin: Mediterranean Coast Properties: The plant is herbaceous, of 0,60 to 1,20 meters in height, the culture is perennial because it produces for 4 to 7 years with the necessity of new plantations. The leaves are large, quite ragged, of green colour with a tendency to clear ash. The edible part of the plant is the flower head. Gardening tips: Sow from February to April, in nursery. Little demanding species, requires temperate or hot climate. Requires a lot of water during the summer. Therapeutic use: Helps with digestion. Artichoke broth relieves cough. Culinary use Artichokes in cream sauce Ingredients: 1 tin of artichoke hearts Directions/How to prepare: Drain the artichoke hearts well and cut them in half. Heat the margarine with the ham chopped into small pieces and allow to melt. Add the artichokes, stir and cover while they sweat a little. Season with mustard and roughly ground black pepper. Pour on the cream and add the vinegar. Check the salt and leave to simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Sautéed artichoke Ingredients: 4 artichokes with 10 cm of stalk 1 packet of cream 10 black olives 1 clove of garlic 1 one or two sweet basil leaves, bay leaf mint pepper salt olive oil Directions/How to prepare: Clean the artichokes and cut off the stems. Place in the pressure cooker with the aromatic leaves, salt to taste and enough water to half cover the artichokes. Place on the heat and, when it begins to hiss, reduce the heat, count 10 minutes and turn off.

Aubergine

Scientific Name: Solanum melongena
Familly: Solanáceas
Origin: India

Properties: Various types exist and they are differentiated by their colour, which go from dark red or violet, but they can also be white, even though it is rare. The pulp that covers it is soft, flexible and shiny.

Gardening tips: Sow from March to April, in nursery. Species from the tomato family, requiring the same care, although its culture is more extended. It is sensitive to cold, the frost and the excess of rain during flowering.

Therapeutic use: Is an anti-depressant, analgesic, reduces cholesterol, and stimulates the immune system.

Culinary use

Aubergine and artichoke spaghetti

Ingredients: 1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 spoon of lemon juice
4 small aubergines, chopped
50 grams of tomato purée
salt and pepper
400 grams of tinned artichoke hearts
100 grams of black olives
350 grams of spaghetti

Directions/How to prepare: Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and put in the onion, garlic, lemon juice and aubergines. Cook until the aubergines and onions are golden brown. Add the tomato purée, salt and pepper, and leave to cook for 20 minutes. Add the artichoke and olives to the sauce, leave to cook for another 5 minutes and finally boil the spaghetti.

Aubergine croquets

Ingredients: 2 small aubergines
2 medium boiled potatoes
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 egg
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
1 plate of flour
oil or olive oil to taste

Directions/How to prepare:

Wash the aubergines and remove the ends. Dice without peeling them and boil in salted water for 20 minutes. Roughly mash the boiled potatoes. Drain the diced aubergine well and leave to cool. Press with your hands to remove all the liquid. Mix the aubergines in with the mashed potato. Add the parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, nutmeg and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly until the mixture appears thick and even. Shape the croquettes and roll in flour. Fry the croquettes in pre-heated oil.

Basil

Scientific Name: Ocimum basilicum Familly: Lamiaceae Origin: India Properties: The plant is herbaceous, perennial and can reach 20 inches in height. It has branchy white green stalks. Leaves are egg-shaped, wide and white green. The flower is small, whitish, with six circular fascicles. Basil flourish at the end of Summer. Gardening tips: Put the Basil at sun or middle dark. Water it well but not excessively. Basil doesn’t bear drenching. Basil should be harvested between June and September, before flowering. Therapeutic use: Combat vomits, intestinal colic’s, diarrhoea, cough, hoarseness and activate kidneys. Basil tea is diuretic. Culinary use Pesto Genovese Ingredients: 1 large basil plant, leaves only 25g pine kernels 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tsd granular sea salt 50g freshly grated Parmesan 100-200 ml extra virgin olive oil Directions/How to prepare: Wash and dry the basil leaves. Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat and toast the pine kernels lightly for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. If you’re using a mortar, pound the garlic with the salt to make a soft mush. Pound in the pine nuts, then work in the basil leaves, 2-3 at a time, with a circular movement of the pestle, until all is reduced to a silky paste. (The mixture can be frozen at this point). Work in the cheese, then beat in the olive oil with a wooden spoon until you have a thick, dense sauce. Add more or less oil depending on the texture you like. If you’re using a processor, drop all the ingredients in and blitz to a luscious green sauce. To serve, cook a pasta of your choice according to packet instructions. Ligurian cooks put a few small cubes of patato to cook with the pasta because the starch improves the sticking power of the pesto. Before dressing the pasta, dilute the pesto with a tablespoonful of pasta cooking water. To store the pesto, pour into a jar, float a layer of olive on top, cover and refrigerate for up to a week. Spaghetti with Tomato-Basil Sauce Ingredients: ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 30 fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon red-peppers flakes 1½ Pounds dried spaghetti 1 tablespoon butter 8 basil leaves, cut into a fine chiffonade ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Directions/How to prepare: Add the olive oil to a pan and heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red-pepper flakes, but take into consideration that the sauce will reduce and the salt will become concentrated. Crush the tomatoes with a potato masher to release all their liquid. Cook for 25 minutes over medium to medium-high heat, until the tomatoes form a semi-chunky sauce. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. When it is three-quarters cooked, drain the pasta and reserve the water. Add the spaghetti to the sauce and cook over medium-high heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little of the pasta water to thin out the sauce. Remove from heat, and, just before serving, add the butter, basil, and cheese, mixing thoroughly until the pasta is an orange hue. Season to taste with salt.

Bean

Scientific Name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Familly: Fabáceas
Origin: Mexico and Central America

Properties: It is an herbaceous and erect plant. It produces seeds in pods, the grains are of diverse sizes, forms and colours and the culture is an annual cycle. The flowers are hermaphrodites since they have the two sexes in the same flower. The spreading is done through seeds and its germination happens three days after the sowing.

Gardening tips: Is sowed from February to September in a permanent location. Plant is sensitive to frost and lack of water. Likes luminosity.

Therapeutic use: Is an excellent protector against coronary and oncological diseases resulting from the low content of fat and high content of fibre.

Culinary use

Bean Pasties

Ingredients:

400 g of sugar
12 egg yolks
100 g of white beans
300 g of flour
2,5 dl of water
100 g of grated almonds
salt

Directions/How to prepare: Leave the beans to soak overnight, then cook for around half an hour in a pressure cooker, drain, and reduce to a puree. Mix the flour with a little salt and 1 dl of water, work the dough thoroughly until it becomes smooth, cover in cling film and leave to stand. In the meantime heat the sugar with the rest of the water and boil for around 5 minutes. Beat the egg yolks with the bean puree and the grated almonds. Add a little of the warm sugar water, mix it all well and add the rest of the water. Place back on the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes. Spread the dough and line the moulds. Put the prepared food into the oven at 220ºC for half an hour.

Feijoada Transmontana [bean stew]

Ingredients:

1 Kg of beans
500 g Pig’s ear
200 g Pig’s snout
1 Pig’s trotter
1 Tongue sausage
1 cured pork sausage
100g Ham
1dl Olive oil
1 Onion
1 bunch of parsley
1 Bay leaf
1 Clove of garlic: 1
Clove, White Pepper, Paprika, Chilli, Salt to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Leave the previously washed beans overnight in a bowl of cold water and, in another, the meat, which must be smoked. The next day, cook the beans in one pan and the meat in another, and after cooking it well, cut it into small pieces. Brown the onion in the olive oil and add the beans with their cooking water. Add the meats. Check the salt and add the parsley, the bay leaves, the clove of chopped garlic, the chilli, the paprika and the clove. Leave on a low heat. Serve with loose dry rice.

Broad Bean

Scientific Name: Vicia faba L.
Familly: Fabaceae
Origin: Middle East and Mediterranean

Properties: It is a creeper plant that produces big pods in which are formed the grains. It can reach 1,20 meters high and produces large white or pink flowers, sometimes violet.

Gardening tips: Sow in a permanent location preferably during the first rains from October to November. Sowings can be made from extra-precocious types in August and September, as well as in February and March. The germination of the sowings could be facilitated if they are put in water during 24 hours before sowing.

Therapeutic use: Rich in fibre, which contributes to a healthy functioning of the intestines.

Culinary use

Beans with tongue sausage

Ingredients:

1/2 kg of beans
1/2 kg of tongue sausage

Directions/How to prepare: Boil the beans three times, to remove the bitterness, changing the water. To avoid an excess of fat, roast the sausage rather than frying it, and chop into pieces. Separately, sauté and cook the beans, with all the seasonings. Once the beans are cooked, add the sausage and serve.

´Fava-rica´

Ingredients:

vinegar
white pepper;
salt
5 cloves of garlic
5 tablespoons of olive oil
6 dl dry beans

Directions/How to prepare: Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Cook them in salted water until they start to soften. Away from the heat, add the olive oil, the vinegar and the chopped garlic and season with pepper and salt.

Brussels Sprout

Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea gemmifera
Familly: Brássicas
Origin: Mediterranean Coast

Properties: It is an herbaceous plant, although some subligneous varieties exist in the zone of the base of the stem. It is a biannual plant, but sometimes its cycle of life can last for more than two years. This variety produces abundant and small cabbages that grow along the stem of the plant, they must be picked from the inferior part.

Gardening tips: Sow from March to April, in nursery and in open air from May to June. Needs a long cold season for its growth. The spread is set.

Culinary use

Brussel sprouts gratiné

Ingredients:

750 g of Brussels sprouts
4 thick slices of rindless bacon cut into small pieces
60 g of margarine
60 g of peeled almonds
250 g of cooked chestnuts
175 g seedless black grapes
60 g fresh breadcrumbs
60 g grated parmesan cheese

Directions/How to prepare: Steam the Brussels sprouts. Heat a frying pan with bacon and fry in its own fat until it is crisp. Next, leave the bacon to one side on a plate. In the same frying pan, melt the butter, add the almonds and chestnuts and cook until golden. Add the bacon and the grapes, allow to cook for a few minutes and season. Place the prepared mix in a dish. Add the sprouts and mix well. Mix the soft breadcrumb with the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the sprouts. Place in a ready-heated oven and allow to bake for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Cantalope Melon

Scientific Name: Cucumis melo cantalupensis
Familly: Cucurbitáceas
Origin: Asia

Properties: The characteristics are identical to the melon’s.

Gardening tips: Sow from March to May in the permanent location. Requires heat during its vegetative cycle. Culture requiring water. However, watering next to the foot of the plant should be avoided.

Therapeutic use: Has antioxidant properties. Rich in vitamins.

Culinary use

Melon Mousse

Ingredients:

1 melon
350 g sugar
2 dl water
7 dl milk
2 tablespoons of powdered gelatine
1 coffee spoon of salt
Coffee spoon of yellow food colouring
Coffee spoon of red food colouring

Directions/How to prepare: Put 225 g of sugar over a low heat with 1.5 dl of water, constantly stirring until the sugar melts. Increase the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds and the peel and cut the flesh into pieces. Put into a liquidiser bowl with 2 dl of milk and beat until it becomes creamy. Dissolve the gelatine into the remaining water in the Bain Marie and mix with the remaining milk. Add to the prepared melon together with the sugar mixture and the remaining ingredients. Put into a flat pan and place in the freezer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Pour the mixture into a glass and beat well until it becomes soft, but still frozen. Replace it in the flat pan and put back in the freezer for 3 more hours. Remove 10 minutes before serving.

Melon pudding

Ingredients:

1 tin of condensed milk
1 tumbler of vodka
10 sheets of clear gelatine
7dl of cream
grated chocolate for decoration

Directions/How to prepare: Peel the melon and reduce to a puree. Next, add the milk and the vodka, mixing them well. Add the sheets of gelatine to the sauce for 3 minutes, drain them and heat then in a Bain Marie until they melt. Add the gelatine to the initial mix. Beat the chilled cream, and mix it into the preparation. Pour into a mould that has been standing in cold water and chill for a minimum of 4 hours. Remove from the mould and decorate with melon balls and grated chocolate.

Carrot

Scientific Name: Daucus carota L.
Familly: Umbelíferas
Origin: Asia

Properties: It is a root of woody texture with an orange coloration.

Gardening tips: Sow in a permanent location from February to October. The precocious types must be sowed preferably from February to August.

Therapeutic use: Anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, fights muscle pain, anaesthetic, bladder and prostate, laxative, fights viral infections, antioxidant, reduces cholesterol and asthma.

Culinary use

Carrot cake

Ingredients:

300 g carrots
8 tablespoons of sugar
1 teacup of oil
2 teacups of sugar
2 teacups of flour
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of chocolate powder
2 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoons of margarine

Directions/How to prepare:

Mix the raw carrot with the yolks, oil and sugar in the blender. Remove and stir in the flour with a fork, then fold in the whipped egg whites. Place in a hot oven in a well greased mould. Preparing the topping: Heat the sugar together with the margarine. Once melted, add the milk and chocolate. Spread over the cake or use as a filling.

Carrot lasagna

Ingredients:

750 g grated carrot
250 g fresh lasagna sheets
50 g butter
65 g flour
750 ml milk
175 g cream
120 g grated Cheddar cheese
4 beaten eggs
50 g grated Cheddar cheese

Directions/How to prepare: Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and stir over a gentle heat. Add the milk and cream gradually, stirring all the time, and allow to come to the boil and thicken, while still stirring. Take it off the heat, add the cheese and let it cool down slightly. Slowly add the beaten eggs stirring all the time. Place a third of the sauce to one side, and add the grated carrot to the rest. Grease an oven tray with butter. Cover the bottom with the carrot mix and place lasagna sheets on top. Carry on adding alternate layers of lasagna and carrot mix, finishing with lasagna. Pour on the sauce you kept to one side and sprinkle on the extra cheese. Wait for about 10 minutes and place in a medium oven, 150º, for approximately 40 mins. Serve with a salad.

Cauliflower

Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea, L. variedade botrytis
Familly: Brássicas
Origin: Mediterranean Coast, Asia Minor and European Occidental Coast

Properties: Biennial plant that presents a short stem and long leaves. The commercial product is an immature inflorescence that develops on the stem, constituting a “head” of white or cream coloration.

Gardening tips: Sow in nursery from March to June. Some types can be used in sowings from August to September. Requires water and does not withstand flooding.

Therapeutic use: Decongestant, fights viral infections, anti-inflammatory, protects the liver, fights fungus, reduces cholesterol, fights muscular pain, diminishes arterial pressure, analgesic.

Culinary use

Broccoli and caulifower

Ingredients:

2 small broccoli
2 cauliflowers
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium sliced onion
2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
salt to taste.

Directions/How to prepare: Cook the broccoli and caulifower for 3 minutes in salted water. Drain. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic and fry for 8 minutes until soft. Add the vinegar, lemon peel, oregano and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the vegetables and stir. Heat and season. Add the grated cheese and serve right away.

Celery

Scientific Name: Apium graveolens
Familly: Apiáceas
Origin: Europe

Properties: Herbaceous plant and bi-annual cycle. The root is fibrous and strong. The stem is very ramified and ribbed. The flowers have a whitish coloration. The fruit is small and round.

Gardening tips: Sow from February to June, in nursery. It is a plant and it is sensitive to salinity and requires a lot of water.

Therapeutic use: Possesses an antioxidant, digestive, refreshing, tonic and anti-inflammatory action.

Culinary use

Celery and lettuce salad

Ingredients:

500g of celery sticks
1/2 lettuce /> 3 spoonfuls of wine vinegar
1 pinch of salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon of mustard
4 spoonfuls of olive oil
2 spoonfuls of mayonnaise
100g of ham

1 apple

Directions/How to prepare: Cut the celery stalks near the root. Remove the tender shoots of celery one by one, wash them and cut them into thin strips. Wash the celery stalks, dry them and cut them into pieces 0.5cm thick. Remove the outer leaves of the lettuce, pick out the tender ones, and rinse them well. Dry the leaves and cut them into thin strips. Beat the vinegar with the salt, pepper, mustard, and olive oil, and mix the sauce with the mayonnaise. Cut the ham into small cubes. Peel the apple, cut into pieces, remove the core, and chop into small cubes. Place the pieces of celery, strips of lettuce, ham and apple cubes in a salad bowl. Pour on the sauce, mix well, and sprinkle on the celery shoots. Serve the salad nicely chilled.

Celery soup

Ingredients:

100 g of bacon
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 dl of olive oil
1 carrot
2 sticks of celery
400 g of potatoes
1.2 l of beef stock
150 g of tagliatelli
salt and mint to taste

Directions/How to prepare: In a large pan, fry the bacon, cut into cubes, the onion and the chopped garlic in olive oil. Allow to brown. Add the carrot and the celery, chopped into cubes. Sauté for a few more minutes. Add the potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes, and the beef stock. Season with salt. Leave on the heat for 20 minutes. Add the pasta and cook, for five minutes. Remove from the heat and decorate with mint.

Chard

Scientific Name: Beta vulgaris Familly: Quenopodiáceas Origin: Europe Properties: It is a bi-annual plant. The leaves are the edible part of the plant and are large and oval-shaped. The colour varies according to the variety, between dark green and pale green. Gardening tips: Sow in a permanent location during the months of February to August. The pruning should be done when the plants are sufficiently developed, leaving the stronger ones. Therapeutic use: Anticoagulant, anti-allergic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and fights viral infections. Culinary use Fried chard Ingredients: Chard stalks 2 eggs 5 tablespoons of flour 1 small onion salt to taste Directions/How to prepare: Remove the stalks from the centre of the leaves and chop finely. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and fry small portions one by one in hot oil. Chard with cheese Ingredients: chopped chard 1 cube of vegetable stock 1 teacup of water 1 tablespoon of butter 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley 3 tablespoons of dry white wine 50 g of grated parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste Directions/How to prepare: Place the rinsed, chopped chard in a pressure cooker, add the stock cube dissolved in water, the butter, wine, salt and pepper. Close the lid and place on a medium heat for 4 minutes. Once it begins to hiss, release the pressure and transfer to a plate.

Chive

Scientific Name: Allium schoenoprasum, L
Familly: Lileaceas
Origin: Orient

Properties: Lively plant of small size. It usually does not exceed 20 cm. Produces oval-shaped and very small bulbs, united in a compact mass by its numerous roots. The leaves are numerous, long and of cylindrical format.

Gardening tips: Sow from February to May and from September to October, in nursery as well as in a permanent location.

Therapeutic use: Rich in vitamin A and C.

Culinary use

Mushroom and chive salad

Ingredients: 5 spoonfuls of cream

Directions/How to prepare: Beat the cream, oil, lemon juice, radish and mustard until you obtain a creamy sauce. Wash and dry the chives and parsley. Chop the parsley finely and beat into the cream. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, sugar and nutmeg. Remove the shell from the eggs and cut into thin slices. Place on 4 plates and arrange the egg and mushroom slices around the plate, covering with sauce. Chop the chives finely and mix into the salad. Serve with toast.

Lamb chops with chives

Ingredients: 1.250 kg lamb chops
1 tablespoon of margarine
4 onions
4 carrots
6 dl of beef stock
Salt and black pepper
4 potatoes
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped chives

Directions/How to prepare:

Melt the margarine in a frying pan, add the chops and allow to brown on both sides. Remove them. Add the onion and carrots to the frying pan, ready peeled and quartered. Allow to brown until golden. Return the chops to the frying pan, pour in the beef stock, season with salt and pepper and cook to taste, covered, on a slow heat for about 1 hour and a half until the meat is tender. Half an hour before the end of cooking, add the potatoes, ready peeled and cut in half. Pour off the stock and simmer to reduce it slightly. Gradually stir in the margarine. Add the chopped chive. Add to the stew, and it should now be ready to serve.

Coriander

Scientific Name: rum sativus, L.
Familly: Umbeliferas
Origin: China and Rome

Properties: It is a very common herb, particularly in the south of the country, where it is used in the regional gastronomy. The leaves are similar to the parsley’s, but are darker, large and ragged.

Gardening tips: Sow during the whole year in a permanent location. However, the sowings from Autumn and Spring are the ones that yield the best results. Temperatures that are too low can cause a lack of odour.

Therapeutic use: Is a digestive and purifies the blood.

Culinary use

Octopus and coriander salad

Ingredients:

1 octopus 1.5 kg
2 chopped onions
1 bunch of chopped coriander
1 whole onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red pepper
2 chopped boiled eggs
olive oil
vinegar
paprika
salt and pepper

Directions/How to prepare: In a pan of cold water, bring the octopus and the whole onion to the boil. Drain. Leave to cool. Cut the octopus into small pieces. Clean the peppers. Cut them first into strips and then cubes. Place the pieces of octopus in a salad bowl. Add the peppers, onion, garlic, eggs and coriander. Season with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and paprika. Mix thoroughly. Leave it to gain flavour. Before serving, sprinkle with more chopped coriander.

Sardines with coriander

Ingredients:

20 sardines
flour
1.5 dl of olive oil
1 head of garlic
1 bunch of fresh coriander
salt

Directions/How to prepare: Clean the sardines, removing the innards, head and scales. Rinse them in tap water and drain. Coat in flour and lay out on an oven dish sprinkled with olive oil. Crush the salt together with the peeled garlic and coriander. Add the olive oil and mix well. Spread this sauce over the sardines and roast in the oven. Serve with boiled potatoes.

Courgette

Scientific Name: Curcubita pepo L.
Familly: Cucurbitáceas
Origin: Central region of Mexico, Southern region of Peru, Bolivia and Northern Argentina.

Properties: It is a fruit with a stretched form and a very soft skin. The colours go from light green to darker green according to the variety. Picked and consumed while it is still green.

Gardening tips: It is an annual plant. It should be sowed from February to March in a nursery and from April to July in open air in a permanent location. The fruits should be collected in its initial phase, with the flower still holding on.

Therapeutic use: Excellent source of vitamin B complex. Diuretic action. Has few calories.

Culinary use

Stuffed courgettes

Ingredients:

40 g of margarine
15 g of flour
2 dl of milk
salt
pepper
nutmeg
3 courgettes of about 800 g
1 small onion
75 g whole biscuits
25 g grated parmesan cheese

Directions/How to prepare:

Melt 15 g of margarine on a gentle heat, sprinkle in the flour and stir to blend. Pour in milk and allow to cook on a gentle heat stirring all the time until it thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Wash the courgettes and cut off the stalks. Heat in a pan with plenty of water for 3 minutes. Drain and place in cold water. Cut the courgettes in half lengthwise. Hollow out the flesh and chop finely. Chop the onion and heat in the rest of the margarine until golden. Add the courgette flesh, season with salt and leave to cook for 4 minutes. Add the previously prepared sauce and the grated biscuits and cook for 2 more minutes. Wait until cool and then stuff the courgettes. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and bake in a hot oven, 250º for 10 minutes until golden.

Cucumber

Scientific Name: Cucumis sativus
Familly: Cucurbitáceas
Origin: India

Properties: It is an herbaceous, creeping plant with tendrils. Its branches can reach a few meters in length. The leaves are rough on the inferior phase. The flowers are yellow. The size, length, format, coloration and taste are in conformity with the varieties.

Gardening tips: Sow from March to May in a permanent location. Intense cold and excessive humidity should be avoided in this culture, and they cannot be cultivated in locations with low temperatures or that endure frost. Collect the fruits as soon as they reach 20 cm. The spread is done through seeds.

Therapeutic use: Cucumber juice is used to lower fevers.

Culinary use

Cucumber soup

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers
1 onion
30 g of butter
2 slices of bread
2 dl of cream cheese br>1 litre of chilled water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Peel the cucumbers, keeping a few aside, and cut the remainder in half. Discard the seeds, and cut it into small pieces. Chop the onion and fry it slowly in the butter. Remove the crusts from the slices of bread, cut them into small pieces and add them to the sauteed onion. Add this all to the cucumber, as well as the cheese, and process it all in the blender. Add the chilled water and season. Serve with the cucumber that you had out aside, cut into small pieces.

Cucumber Mousse

Ingredients:

2 dl of Cream
1 teacup of grated and drained cucumber
1 tablespoon of taste-free powdered gelatine
1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of diced red pepper
130 grams of gorgonzola cheese
3/4 of teacup of hot water
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tea spoon of fine salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Put the gelatine into a glass with the lemon juice, leave to stand for around 5 minutes until it softens and add the hot water, stirring until it dissolves. Mash the cheese and mix it in with the cucumber, the parsley, the pepper and the onion. Season with salt and pepper and add the dissolved gelatine. Put the bowl into a pan with the water and ice cubes and leave to cool, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the lightly beaten cream and mix gently. Put the mixture into a 1.5 litre mould with a hole in the middle. Place in the fridge for around 3 hours or until firm. When serving, demould on to a plate. Serve as an accompaniment to grilled meats.

Garlic

Scientific Name: Allium sativum L.
Familly: Lileáceas
Origin: Central Asia

Properties: Lively plant that reaches between 30 cm and 1 m in height, with clear pink or whitish green flowers. It is formed by a round bulb known as the head, composed of 10 to 12 cloves, covered by a fine peel that can be white, pink or red.

Gardening tips: Plant in a permanent location from November to January. The teeth are always located in the substrate with the tip going upwards. The plant develops well during the short days and with cold temperatures. The bulbs initiate its regular growth as soon as the temperatures go up.

Therapeutic use: Acts against asthma and arthritis, arterial hypertension, reduction of cholesterol levels, tooth pains, insect bites, digestive problems.

Culinary use

Rabbit in garlic marinade

Ingredients:

1 rabbit
3 cloves of garlic
100 g sliced bread
olive oil
2 onions
2 tablespoons of lard
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 dl Port wine
salt to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Rub the rabbit with garlic and salt. Fry the slices of bread, place them in the bottom of a tray and cover. Lay out the rabbit on top of the bread and cover with the finely sliced onion. Spread the lard on top and sprinkle with olive oil. Place in the oven and, when it is almost cooked, remove it, add a dash of wine and return to the oven to finish cooking.

Beaf escalopes in garlic sauce

Ingredients:

500 gr beef escalopes
1 head of garlic
Sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teacup of spring onions
1 teacup of white wine
1 teacup of cream
1 teaspoon of saffron

Directions/How to prepare:

Place the unpeeled cloves of garlic in a pyrex bowl and sprinkle with three tablespoons of olive oil. Leave in the oven until the garlic is soft. Cool it, remove the peel, crush with a fork and leave to one side.

Sauce
Sauté a quarter cup of spring onion with 2 spoons of butter for about 2 minutes. Add half a cup of dry white wine. Pour in 1 cup of cream and a teaspoon of powdered saffron. Lower the heat and leave to thicken a while, adding only a little salt. Scalopes: Fry the thin slices in the butter. Place them in the sauce, adding the crushed garlic and a tablespoon of lemon and cook for 5 minutes. Serve with white rice.

Leek

Scientific Name: Allium porrum
Familly: Aliáceas
Origin: Europe

Properties: Produces a long cylinder of leaves boxed into one another, whitish in the subterranean zone, this part being the most used in cookery.

Gardening tips: It needs little care and is a quite rustic species. It does not like shady zones. Sow in nursery from February to May and from September to October.

Therapeutic use: Possesses digestive properties.

Culinary use

Cod with leeks

Ingredients:

4 thick cuts of soaked dried cod
100 g margarine
6 leeks
1 packet of cream
lemon juice to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Rinse the leeks well and after removing the white part, put to heat with the margarine. Add a little water and allow to cook. Place the leeks in the bottom of a tray with the cod portions on top. Sprinkle with lemon juice and cover with cream, then place in the oven to bake. Serve with boiled potatoes.

Leek tart

Ingredients:

frozen puff pastry
1 leek
2 tablespoons of margarine
1 packet of cream
4 eggs
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Directions/How to prepare:

Defrost the puff pastry. Cut the leeks into thin slices, rinse and drain well. Heat the margarine and the diced bacon, then mix in the leeks and leave to cook until soft. Roll out the pastry and line a tart dish. Pour the mixture into the dish. Beat the eggs and cream together lightly, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour it over the pastry and place in a hot oven, 225ºC, for 30 minutes.

Lettuce

Scientific Name: Lactuca sativa
Familly: Compostas
Origin: Asia

Properties: Herbaceous plant, with a minute stem to which the leaves hold on to. These are the edible parts of the plant and they can be smooth or curly according to the variety. The coloration of the plants can vary from light green up to dark green and can also be curly.

Gardening tips: Various types exist for cultures in different times of the summer, winter and mid-season. Sow in nursery using the appropriate type for the period. It is a culture that requires water.

Therapeutic use: Is soothing. A cup of lettuce juice fights insomnia.

Culinary use

Cream of lettuce

Ingredients: 500 g lettuce leaves

Directions/How to prepare: After they have been well rinsed, cut the lettuce leaves into pieces and stew them with a spoon of butter, on a gentle heat with the pan covered. Meanwhile, melt the rest of the butter, sprinkle with flour and allow to cook without browning. Pour over the stock and allow to cook. Add the stewed lettuce and leave to cook for 20 minutes. Then reduce to a purée with the liquidiser. Place back on the heat, season with pepper and check the salt. To one side, mix the cream with the yoke. Add everything to the piping hot soup, having removed it from the heat. Serve with croutons.

Lettuce soup

Ingredients:

1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
60 g of margarine
2 lettuces
1 large potato
1 turnip
1.2 l of water
salt
pepper
nutmeg

Directions/How to prepare:

Peel and chop the onion and the cloves of garlic in a pan and add the margarine. Separate the lettuce leaves and rinse them well under the tap. Drain, set 4 leaves aside and add the rest to the pan. Cover and leave to stew on a gentle heat, stirring from time to time until the lettuce is tender.
Add the potato and turnip, having peeled and chopped them up small, and pour in the water. Season with salt and pepper and leave to boil until the potato and turnip are cooked. Reduce the soup to a purée and place on the heat again. When it comes to the boil, add the thickly shredded lettuce leaves and season with a pinch of nutmeg. Leave to boil for 2 more minutes.

Lettuce pudding mousse

Ingredients:

1 lettuce
4 large eggs
2.5 dl of milk
1 dl cream salt
pepper
margarine
lemon
radishes
olives

Directions/How to prepare:

Separate, rinse and drain the lettuce leaves well. Tear some of them into strips to obtain 2 cupfulls and finely shred the rest to fill 1 cup. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, place in the liquidiser jar, add the milk and the strips of lettuce and blend until the mixture is frothy. Add the cream, season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Grease four pyrex moulds with margarine and fill them with the prepared mixture. Place the moulds in a tray with hot water and leave them in the oven to bake in the bain-marie at 170°C for about 40 minutes. Once cooked, remove the puddings from the tray and leave to cool. Demould them when cool and dress with the lettuce.

Melon

Scientific Name: Cucumis melo, L
Familly: Cucurbitáceas
Origin: Asia

Properties: The plant of the melon is low-lying, has big leaves with five salient points. Its flowers can be white or yellow. Its format is variable (round, oval or elongated), between 20 and 25 cm of diameter, smooth rind, wrinkled or presenting veins in form of a net. The colour of the rind varies from green to yellow.

Gardening tips: Sow from March to May in a permanent location. Likes long days, quite a lot of light and dry air.

Therapeutic use: Calming, refreshing, alkaline, mineralizer, oxidant, diuretic, laxative, emollient. Powerful against arthritis, rheumatism and inflammation of the urinary tracts.

Culinary use

Prawn and Melon Salad

Ingredients:

1 lettuce
cooked prawn
1 melon
175 g of peeled prawns
3 dl of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
1 tablespoon of lemon rind
1 tea spoon of brown sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of ground white pepper

Directions/How to prepare: Cut the melon into pieces and mix with the peeled prawns. Separately, add the juice of the tomato, the mayonnaise, the lemon rind, the sugar, the salt and the pepper to taste. Add the melon and the prawns and mix everything. Place the lettuce leaves on a dish and set the melon and prawn mixture in the middle. Garnish with whole prawns.

Melon Jelly

Ingredients: 1kg of melon
200g of sugar

Directions/How to prepare: Cut the peeled melon into small pieces and place in a very deep glass bowl. Add the sugar, cover, and put in the microwave for 10 minutes at a high power. Remove, beat half with the beater and place it back uncovered in the microwave for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring two or three times during cooking.

Okra

Scientific Name: Abelmoschus esculentus
Familly: Malvaceae
Origin: Ethiopia

Properties: It is a bushy and annual plant, with an erect greenish or red-tinted stem, that can reach from 5 cm to 3,0 m in height. The stalks, leaves and fruits are generally covered with hard and rough hairs. The fruits are a capsule with a light-green colouration. The flowers are large and eye-catching with 5 to 8 cm in diameter when opened.

Gardening tips: Sow from March to May in nursery. Slow germination. That is why it is recommended to put the seeds in water for 24 hours prior to the sowing. Species requiring heat for the regular development of the fruits.

Therapeutic use: Is an important source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and Vitamin B6, besides assisting in the control of arterial pressure.

Culinary use

Chicken and Okra kebab

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast (200 g)
6 okras
juice of 1 lemon
salt and ground pepper to taste

The sauce:
1.2 dl of chicken stock
240 g of processed cheese l
1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
Half coffee spoon of nutmeg
2 tablespoons of chopped chive
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions/How to prepare: Prepare the chicken stock the evening before, place in the fridge until the fat rises and solidifies on the surface of the stock. Remove this layer of fat with a spatula and reserve. Chop the chive; put it in a deep bowl and reserve. Wash, cool and remove the skin of a chicken breast, cut it into cubes and reserve. Wash, cool and cut the okras into chunks. To a kebab skewer, alternately add small pieces of chicken and of okra. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and leave to marinate for 20 minutes. In a bowl add the chicken stock, the processed cheese, the salt, the pepper, the parmesan cheese, the soy sauce and the nutmeg. Mix well with a beater and leave to stand for 10 minutes. In a frying-pan, grill the chicken and okra kebabs for five minutes on each side. Put them on a plate of chopped chive, as if you were going to coat them.

Steamed Okra with Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teacup of onion in medium sized cubes
5 okras cut into small cubes
300 grams of tomato
White pepper

Directions/How to prepare: In a deep pan, heat the olive oil, brown the onion until soft and add the okra and cook for 4 more minutes, until they turn bright green. Add the tomato, let it come to the boil, reduce the heat and cook slowly until the okra is soft, after around 5 minutes. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.

Onion

Scientific Name: Allium cepa L.
Familly: Liliáceas
Origin: Asia

Properties: It is a bulb constituted by leaves arranged in layers. The young plants, with the bulb a little developed and without flower are also called onions. Presents varied formats, since it can be round, flattened or in the shape of a pear.

Gardening tips: Sow in nursery from September to November for the types of short days, and from December to the end of February for the ones of long days. The type to be used should be chosen with rigour, paying attention to the time of cultivation. The luminosity significantly influences the development of the culture. The bulbs require a period of warmth so they can form.

Therapeutic use: Rich in vitamin C, stimulant, diuretic, a digestive and blood purifier.

Culinary use

Onion pie

Ingredients:

4 teacups of finely chopped onion
1 teacup of cream crackers crushed in a mixer
8 tablespoons of melted margarine
A teacup and a half of milk
4 eggs
1/2 teacup of grated cheese
salt and pepper

Directions/How to prepare:

Mix the cracker crumbs with 4 (table)spoons of margarine. Press into the sides and bottom of the mould. Cook the onion slowly in the rest of the margarine, until it is soft but not browned. Add the milk gradually with the lightly beaten eggs. Season to taste and pour over the onions which should already be placed in the mould. Sprinkle on the cheese and place in the oven until set.

Cousse-cousse with onion and mushroom

Ingredients:

200 g of couscous
3 onions
50 g of mushrooms
20 g of margarine

Half a bunch of parsley
salt
pepper
olive oil

Directions/How to prepare: In a bowl, leave the couscous to soak in water with a little salt. Dice the mushrooms. In a frying pan, sauté the chopped onions and the mushrooms until golden. In a pan, preferably a steamer, leave the couscous to cook. Finally, add the mushrooms, onions, chopped parsley and sprinkle with olive oil.

Parsley

Scientific Name: Petroselinum sativum
Familly: Umbelíferas
Origin: Europe or Occidental Asia

Properties: Herb with green recomposed leaves, used as a condiment.

Gardening tips: Sow from August to November in a permanent location. A plant that adapts to slightly shaded exposures to the sun. Cultivation that does not require great care.

Therapeutic use: Is rich in vitamin A, B and C.

Culinary use

Cod Casserole ´A Gomes de Sá´

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic
3 dl of olive oil
2 kg of dried cod
2 kg of potatoes,
8 onions
milk to taste
2 eggs
1 bunch of parsley

Directions/How to prepare: Put the dried cod, previously left to soak, in a casserole of water to simmer, and then cover it, leaving it for 20 minutes. Then remove the skin and bones from the cod and cut into small strips. Put the cod into a deep dish, cover it with hot milk, and leave it to stand for an hour-and-a-half to two hours. Place in an oven dish with the olive oil, the garlic and the onions, cut into slices. When the onion starts to brown, add the potatoes, already cooked and sliced, and the strips of cod that have been taken out of the milk. Place in an oven dish, leaving it all to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, and serve in the same dish decorated with the large olives, the finely chopped parsley and slices of boiled eggs.

Spaghetti with parsley

Ingredients:

pinch of basil
1 bunch of chopped parsley
pinch of chilli
2 cloves of garlic
2 dl olive oil
600 grams spaghetti

Directions/How to prepare: Cook the spaghetti ´al dente´. Drain it and return it to the frying-pan with the olive oil and thin strips of garlic, and brown well until golden. Add 2 or 3 slices of chilli, parsley and basil all finely chopped. Reheat without the herbs browning. Check the salt and serve.

Peas

Scientific Name: Pisum sativum
Familly: Fabáceas
Origin: Middle East

Properties: Innumerable varieties of peas exist. It is a climbing plant and its leaves are composed. The pea pods and the bean constitute an excellent aliment.

Gardening tips: Sow from October to March in a permanent location. It likes temperate and humid climates. Does not stand heat and the dry weather of Summer.

Therapeutic use: Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, treatment of rheumatism, antibiotic, fights viral infections, diminishes arterial pressure, and reduces cholesterol, skin irritations.

Culinary use

Peas with eggs

Ingredients:

300g fresh peas
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of chopped onion
¼ cup of dry white wine
½ cup of vegetable stock
4 eggs
salt and pepper

Directions/How to prepare: Rinse the peas well and string them. Heat the butter in a large frying pan, add the chopped onion, sauté until the onion is soft and add the peas. Sauté for 2 minutes and pour in the white wine. Pour in the stock and boil on a high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Crack the eggs carefully over the peas, sprinkle with a little salt and cover the pan so that the eggs cook evenly. If you prefer soft yolks, cook for 3-4 minutes.

Cod with peas

Ingredients: 1 kg of cod
3 tablespoons of margarine
2 cloves of finely-chopped garlic
2 medium sized sliced onions
2 cups of potato in small cubes
1 tin of tomato puree
3 teacups of water
1 tin of peas

Directions/How to prepare: Drain the cod and place it in a pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Leave it to cook for 25 minutes. Drain, and remove the skin and the bones. In a pan, melt the margarine. Add the garlic and the onion and allow them to brown. Add the potato, the tomato puree, the water and the cod. Cover and leave to cook on a gentle heat for 25 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve accompanied by rice.

Peppers

Scientific Name: Capsicum annuum
Familly: Solanáceas
Origin: Southern Mexico and Central America

Properties: Capsicum is a kind of plant which fruits are pimento or peppers, the sweet varieties, while the spicy varieties are the peppers, also called piri-piri or chilli peppers. It is a bushy and annual plant. The plants can exceed a meter and a half in height. The flowers are small, white, isolated and have the two sexes in the same flower (hermaphrodites). The fruits can be large, average or small. Its colouration can vary from yellow, red, orange and purple. They can be conic, cylindrical or square, flexible or stronger according to its variety.

Gardening tips: Sow in nursery from February to May. Install the culture in a well-exposed and sheltered location. The plant does not tolerate frost and low temperature. Avoid dry periods. The spread is done through seeds. The seedling are produced in a greenhouse and then transplanted.

Therapeutic use: Stimulates the blood circulation and acts favourably in the brain in cases of encephalitis, meningitis, cerebral congestion and risk of haemorrhage. It should be noted that its effects are more marked in women than in men.

Culinary use

Pasta salad with peppers

Ingredients:

250g of tagliatelli
3 onions
6 radishes
2 sticks of celery
100g of peppers
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 spoons of cream
1 tea spoon of dried basil
salt and black pepper

Directions/How to prepare: While the pasta cooks, chop the onions, the celery and the peppers and cut the radishes into slices. When the pasta is ´al dente´, drain it, put it under running cold water and then drain again. Put the pasta into a large glass bowl and add the onion, the radishes, the celery and the peppers. Mix well. Season with lemon juice, olive oil, cream, basil, salt and pepper. Stir and serve at room temperature.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients: falta traducao en: 300 grs de carne picada
4 pimentos verdes ou vermelhos
2 colheres de sopa de manteiga
caldo de carne q.b.
1 cebola grande
1 bom tomate maduro
sal
pimenta moída
noz-moscada
1 chávena de chá mal cheia de arroz cozido
1/2 dl de vinho branco

Directions/How to prepare: Cut the top off each of the peppers and clean them. Heat in a pan with the butter and the diced onion. Fry until it browns a little. Add the chopped meat and mix well to avoid lumps. Add the peeled, de-seeded, chopped tomato and the white wine. Leave to cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally for around 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg grated.
Add the rice to the minced meat. Remove from the heat and stuff the peppers. Add the peppers with their tops into a Pyrex. Add a little beef stock to the Pyrex. Put in a hot oven and leave until the peppers soften.
Remove from the oven and serve accompanied by a good salad.

Portuguese Kale

Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea, L. var. Tronchuda
Familly: Brássicas
Origin: Mediterranean Coast

Properties: They have very tender leaves, big stems and salient veins, a little like cabbage.

Gardening tips: This kind of kale prefers a cold and moderate climate to develop well. It must be sowed from February to October, in nursery.

Culinary use

Cod and cabbage

Ingredients:

cod
potatoes
1 thick-stalked cabbage
4 carrots
4 boiled eggs
1 clove of garlic
olive oil
paprika to taste

Directions/How to prepare: After the cod is cooked, it should be sliced and placed in a pan together with the potatoes cut into quarters, the chopped cabbage stalks, slices of boiled carrot, slices of boiled egg, a good sprinkling of olive oil, paprika, pepper and chopped garlic. Heat the whole mixture, stirring from time to time. Allow to settle and serve hot.

Radish

Scientific Name: Raphanus sativus
Familly: Crucíferas
Origin: Europe

Properties: Annual plant of short cycle, produces a tuberous root with a round or elongated form, the colour of the skin is red and the pulp is white. Plant of small size with ragged leaves.

Gardening tips: Sow from August to November in a permanent location.

Therapeutic use: Purifies the blood, helps in the functioning of the bladder.

Culinary use

Carrot and Radish salad

Ingredients:

340 grams of grated radishes
450 grams of peeled and grated carrots
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tea spoon of sugar
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 cup of olive oil
4 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives

Directions/How to prepare: Mix the carrots and radishes in a bowl. Mix the lemon juice, the sugar, the salt and the pepper to taste. Continue to stir the seasoning, adding the olive oil all in one go, and mix in. Add the chive and keep stirring. Sprinkle the salad with the seasoning. Serve as an accompaniment to meats and fishes.

Radish chutney

Ingredients:

1 bunch of radishes
2 cups of vinegar
1 tea spoon of salt
1 bay leaf
pepper to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Wash the radishes and cut them into pieces. Place the radishes in a wide-mouthed jar. Boil the vinegar with the salt, pepper and bay leaf. Pour this over the radishes in the jar covering them. Close the lid of the jar when cooled.

Rocket Salad

Scientific Name: Eruca vesicaria sativa
Familly: Crucíferas
Origin: Southern Europe and part of Occidental Asia

Properties: Herbaceous, broadleaved and annual plant with a short size of 15 to 20 centimetres in height. The edible part of the plant is the leaf. Its colour is green. It is ragged, tender and with a spicy taste.

Gardening tips: The spread is done through seeds. Sow from March to October in a permanent location. Its cultivation does not require special care, except that it must not lack water.

Therapeutic use: Helps with the functioning of the intestines. Is an excellent appetite stimulant. Rich in iron, potassium, vitamin A and C.

Culinary use

Rocket Cake

Ingredients:

For the dough:
2 cups of milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon of butter
1 small chopped onion
1 teacup of wheat flour
1/2 teacup of grated cheese
1 tablespoon of yeast powder;
salt to taste
For the filling:
1 teacup of chopped tomato
1 large bunch of chopped Rocket
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Directions/How to prepare: For the dough: put the milk, the egg, the butter and the onion in a mixer and beat until it creams. Add the other ingredients and continue to beat, until the dough is smooth. Remove, place in a bowl. For the filling: Mix the tomato, the rocket, the rosemary and season with the salt and the pepper. Add this to the dough and mix gently. Put in a greased mould and place in a medium oven for around 40 minutes.

Rocket and Ham Salad

Ingredients:

200 grams of turkey ham
1 cucumber
2 tablespoons of spring onion
1 tin of peas (300 grams)
200 grams of tinned sweet corn
1 lettuce
Rocket leaves
oregano
marjoram
thyme
olive oil
salt

Directions/How to prepare: Thoroughly wash all the greens together, removing any spoilt leaves and tough stems. Peel the cucumber and cut into quarters. The ham must be cut into small cubes. In a salad bowl, mix all the ingredients and season to taste with salt, olive oil, oregano, marjoram, thyme and other aromatic herbs.

Spinach

Scientific Name: Spinacia oleracea L.
Familly: Chenopodiaceae
Origin: Asia

Properties: The stem of the spinach is short and the leaves grow all around. These leaves are mainly consumed cooked.

Gardening tips: Sow in a permanent location, choosing the type according to the time of cultivation. Prefers a temperate climate, cultivated in little exposed locations, mainly during Autumn and Winter. Requires water but is sensitive to flooding.

Therapeutic use: Fights and prevents hepatitis, antioxidant, skin inflammations, against muscle pains, anti-coagulant, analgesic, stimulates the immune system.

Culinary use

Cream of spinach

Ingredients:

1 bunch of spinach
1 spoon of olive oil or butter
Half a chopped onion
1 clove of crushed garlic
salt to taste
Half a cup of milk
1 dessert spoon of corn starch

Directions/How to prepare: Remove the leaves from the spinach and steam them for 10 minutes.
Chop the leaves with a sharp knife. Heat the olive oil or butter and fry with the onion and the garlic. Add the chopped spinach and the salt and sauté for a few more minutes. Pour in the milk and allow to simmer. Dissolve the corn starch in a little cold water and slowly pour it over the spinach, constantly stirring until it thickens.

Spinach Quiche

Ingredients: Dough
1 and a 1/2 teacups of wheat flour
6 tablespoons of margarine 1 egg
1 tea spoon of salt
Filling
1 small bunch of washed spinach, cooked, squeezed and chopped
400g of grated cheese
1/4 teacup of chopped onion
1/4 teacup of chopped parsley p
1 tablespoon of flour
2 beaten eggs
1/2 packet of cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Mix all the ingredients for the filling, apart from the spinach. Put the ingredients of the dough into a bowl and mix with your fingertips until you get a homogenous mixture. Make a ball from the dough, cover with plastic film and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, flatten the dough with a rolling pin between two plastic sheets until it is 3mm thick. Grease a 24cm diameter mould, cover with the dough and trim the edge. Prick the base of the dough with a fork. Spread a bit of the filling on the dough, spread the spinach on top, and then add the remaining filling. Put into an oven pre-heated to a temperature of 180 C for around 30 minutes.

Tomato

Scientific Name: Lycopersion esculentum
Familly: Solanáceas
Origin: South and Central America

Properties: Herbaceous plant of fast growth. The stalk is flexible, in order to support the weight, it will have to be guided by a stake.

Gardening tips: Sow from January to May, in a permanent location. Sensitive to frost. It develops well in high temperatures.

Therapeutic use: Reduces cholesterol and arterial pressure, antioxidant action.

Culinary use

Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

6 well ripened tomatoes
5 eggs
2 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
1 chopped onion
2 litres of water
olive oil and salt to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Fry the chopped onion with the garlic and the tomato in a little olive oil, then add the water and the salt and leave to cook for a while. Put into a blender and add the bread and a beaten egg. Next, add the four eggs and leave them to poach. Then serve, putting a poached egg on each plate.

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients: 3 tomatoes

Directions/How to prepare: Cut the cheese into slices and then cut these in half. Wash the tomatoes, cut them into quite large pieces. In a dish, place, lengthways, first a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of cheese. Alternate the layers until all the ingredients have been used. Season the salad with salt; sprinkle on a little oregano then finally the olive oil and vinegar.

Tree Cabbage

Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea, L. var. oleracea
Familly: Brássicas
Origin: Mediterranean Coast

Properties: The tree cabbages have big, curly or smooth leaves, but are rather tender and do not need special care due to their rusticity. They continuously grow while the leaves at the base fall, until blooming. The leaves are picked according to the necessity of consumption.

Gardening tips: Sow in nursery from February to October. Resistant to frost.

Culinary use

´Caldo Verde´

Ingredients:

1/2 kg of potatoes
1 spring cabbage
olive oil,
salt
water to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Squeeze the cabbage leaves, roll them up and cut into fine strips.
Rinse several times until the green colour has gone.
Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water. Once boiled, liquidise, add the olive oil, bring to the boil and, when serving, add in the cabbage. Cook it on a high heat, with the pan uncovered so the cabbage will stay green, but remove from the heat once it starts to boil. You can also serve it with slices of chorizo.

Turnip

Scientific Name: Brassica campestris, var. Rapa
Familly: Crucíferas
Origin: Europe

Properties: Its shape can vary from round to cylindrical. The size of the turnip varies according to the variety, varying between 12 and 15 cm in length.

Gardening tips: Are sowed in a permanent location, the serotinous ones during the entire year and the temporary ones from September to November, preferably during the first rains. It adapts extremely well to cold climates. Collect as soon as the tips are developed so that they do not lose their quality.

Therapeutic use: The leaves of the turnip present a high content of vitamins A, B complex and C. Its fibres contribute to the regularisation of the intestinal functioning.

Culinary use

Turnip leaf preserve

Ingredients:

salt
turnip leaves

Directions/How to prepare: Wash the leaves and chop them well. Add a teaspoon of salt for every teacup of leaves. Place a wieght on top and leave them for a day. After this time, rinse them quickly in cold water to remove the extra salt. Then shake them and place in a bowl. Serve with white rice.

Turnip Soup

Ingredients: Onion
1 dl of olive oil
1.5 litre of chicken stock
2 medium-sized potatoes
2 carrots
2 turnips with tops

Directions/How to prepare: Chop the onion and fry it in the olive oil. Add the chicken stock, the potatoes and the carrots, chopped into cubes. Next, add the turnip, already prepared, and season to taste. When it starts to boil, add the turnip top, cut into pieces, and then finish cooking. Near the end, sprinkle with a little olive oil and serve hot.

Watercress

Scientific Name: Nasturtium officinalis
Familly: Cruciferas
Origin: Southwest Asia

Properties: The watercress is a green with small leaves, of dark green colour, with a taste lightly spicy.

Gardening tips: Sow in a permanent location during the months of February to October. Prefer shady and humid zones.

Therapeutic use: Extremely rich in iron. Optimum expectorant.

Culinary use

Sautéed cress

Ingredients: 1 small bunch of cress
1 tablespoon of butter
1 malaguetta pepper
salt

Directions/How to prepare: Rinse the cress well and drain. Place the butter and pepper in a frying pan and heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the cress and allow to simmer for a while. Mix together well until the cress leaves begin to soften.

Pork fillet with creamed cress

Ingredients:

4 slices of pork fillet
10 chopped sage leaves
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of oil
salt to taste

Creamed cress
1/2 bunch of rinsed chopped cress
1 teacup of chicken stock
1/2 teacup of cream
2 tablespoons of flour
salt to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Crush the sage in the lemon juice, add salt and garnish the fillet. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Next, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the fillet until golden brown. Put aside and keep warm. For the creamed cress, beat the cress, chicken stock, milk, flour and salt for 3 minutes and pour into a pan. Cook on a slow heat for 5 minutes and, once it is smooth, take off the heat. Serve with the pork fillet..

Cress soup

Ingredients:

4 potatoes
1 cup of well-rinsed cress leaves
1 litre of beef stock
1 tablespoon of margarine.

Directions/How to prepare: Peel the potatoes and cook them in the beef stock. When the potatoes are soft, mash them well and add them to the stock again. Allow to boil. Place the cress in the bottom of a turine. Remove the stock from the heat, add the margarine and pour over the cress.

Watermelon

Scientific Name: Citrullus lanatus
Familly: Cucurbitáceas
Origin: North Africa

Properties: The annual plant of low-lying and ramified stem. Its leaves are oval and the flowers small and yellow. The fruit is round, the pulp red, succulent and sweet, with around 90% water.

Gardening tips: Are sowed from February to May in the permanent location. Spreads via seeds. A species that requires elevated temperatures to adequately develop.

Therapeutic use: Reduces cholesterol and the arterial pressure, antioxidant action.

Culinary use

Watermelon pudding

Ingredients:

600 ml of milk
2 tablespoons of corn starch
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 coffee cup of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1 dessert spoon of taste-free gelatine
2 whipped egg whites
1 soup plate of watermelon balls

Directions/How to prepare: Beat the milk, the cornstarch and the sweetener. Place on a low heat and mix until it thickens.

Watermelon Peel dessert

Ingredients:

Peel of 1/2 a watermelon
1/2 kg. of sugar
Clove to taste
Cinnamon stick, to taste

Directions/How to prepare: Remove the green part of the peel, slice the light green part into thin strips, being careful to keep a little of the red part. Mix the sugar with 1/2 a cup of water, add the clove and the cinnamon and warm, leaving to simmer for 10 minutes. Put the strips into the warm pan and leave to cook until it sets.