Garden-Fresh Vegetable Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with all my garden vegetables? ›

“I recommend summer squash or zucchini, bush beans, cucumbers, lettuce and cherry tomatoes,” Awot-Traut says. “It is really hard to fail with a cherry tomato.” Some plants are a bit more finicky, Kemper says.

You can take your food scraps and put them to use in your garden without composting. That's right – you can take the cuttings, peels and roots left behind on your cutting board and deposit them directly into the soil of your garden.

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

Radishes. One of the fastest-growing vegetable plants you can grow is radish. Some types are ready to eat in as little as 3 weeks from seeding. They are a cool-season vegetable, meaning they do best in spring or fall, before or after the heat of summer.

Most veg are sown in Spring (March to May) although some such as broad beans and sweet peas can be sown in the autumn. If you sow tender veg like pumpkins, courgettes and tomatoes indoors with heat then they will need to be acclimatised to outside temperatures before planting out in their permanent positions.

What vegetables are low maintenance to grow? ›

Radishes, carrots, kale, Swiss chard, scallions, and onions are also reliable and low care vegetables. Plus, there are many herbs that are perfect for new gardeners or those with little time. I recommend chives, rosemary, thyme, and parsley.

Prime examples are cucumbers, melons, squash and pumpkins. The more pollen and bees you've got floating around, the better the pollination odds. Cucumbers in particular benefit from having several plants growing near one another.

On sandy, well-drained soil, you may need to water twice a week. For soils that hold moisture, such as heavier clay soils, or loamy soils rich in organic matter, watering once a week is fine. Soil covered by mulch will retain water better, and you may need to water less often.

Freezing is my preferred way of preserving extra vegetables. It's super easy and frozen vegetables are almost as good as fresh veggies! You can use them later in cooked dishes such as soups, casseroles, pasta dishes, or even steamed with a little olive oil or butter.

Naturally, if your garden plot produces enough produce to share with others, the local food banks and your friends and neighbors will appreciate your generosity. Any produce you don't eat fresh from the garden or share with others can be preserved by canning, dehydrating, brining, etc.

Recycle garden Waste and Food Scraps with Composting

Composting is an eco-friendly waste recycling method. You can turn yard waste and household waste into compost and soil materials that you can use to nourish your flowers and fruit plants.