Strawberries can be planted in winter and need to be positioned in full sun. They have to be watered at least once per week. When strawberries are red they are ready to eat!

Growing strawberries

What you will need:

• 6 strawberry runners
• A hanging basket
• Potting mix
• Cardboard
• Water

What to do:

1. Using the cardboard line the hanging basket.
2. Add soil to the basket and water thoroughly.
3. Make some small holes in the soil and plant the runners roots in these.
4. Cover with soil and water again.
5. Hang the basket in a sheltered but sunny position.
6. Strawberries will start to grow after about 2 months.

Quick ideas for eating strawberries

• Add them to a fruit and veg platter
• Put them in a smoothie
• Freeze them for a delicious cold treat
• Put them on top of breakfast cereal

Recipe: Creamy Strawberry Tarts

What you will need:

• Chopping board
• Bread and butter knife
• Measuring spoons
• Paper towel
• Serving plates
• Small knife

Ingredients:

• English-style muffins
• Cream cheese (reduced fat)
• Sliced strawberries

What to do:

1. Split the muffins in half.
2. Using the bread and butter knife spread them with the cream cheese.
3. Wash the strawberries, pat dry and slice (removing the green leafy tops.
4. Add sliced strawberries on top of the muffins and serve.

Tip: For a warming treat toast the muffins before adding cream cheese.

Alfalfa sprouts are easy and fast to grow. They don’t need soil or sunlight to grow!

Growing alfalfa

What you will need:

• A handful of alfalfa seeds
• A glass jar with a large opening and heavy base
• A piece of muslin
• A rubber band
• Water

What to do:

1. Add the seeds to the glass jar.
2. Cover the top of the jar with the muslin and secure in place with the rubber band.
3. Pour water through the muslin until the jar is about half full.
4. Over a sink carefully turn the jar upside down to pour the water out.
5. Put the jar in a dark, warm place.
6. Twice each day repeat steps 3 and 4.
7. When the alfalfa sprouts have grown, wash them well before eating.

Quick ideas for eating alfalfa

• Add alfalfa to sandwiches
• Combine alfalfa and other salad vegetables for a healthy side dish

Recipe: Salad and Cheese Pita Pockets

What you will need:

• Chopping board
• Bread and butter knife
• Serving plates
• Mixing bowl

Ingredients:

• Pita pocket breads
• Alfalfa
• Grated carrot
• Diced beetroot
• Grated cheese

What to do:

1. Combine the alfalfa, carrot, beetroot and cheese in the bowl
2. Spoon the mixture into the pita pockets and serve.

Cherry tomatoes are sweet, small tomatoes that are best planted from mid spring to mid summer. They need to be in a full sun position and watered about 3 times per week. Tomatoes take about 3 months to grow and are ready to pick when they are red and plump.

Growing cherry tomatoes

What you will need:

• Tomato seedlings
• Potting mix
• A medium size pot
• A stake
• String
• Water

What to do:

1. Fill the pot with potting mix and make a hole for the seedling.
2. Careful tip out the seedling and put it in the hole, pressing down the soil around it and then watering well.
3. Place the stake in the soil near the plants stem.
4. As the plant grows tie the stem to the stake.
5. Mulch with straw or compost.

Quick ideas for eating cherry tomatoes

• Add cherry tomatoes to a fruit and veg platter.
• Add fresh cherry tomatoes to vegetable kebabs with cubed cheese and chopped, grilled zucchini and pumpkin. Have these ready for children to push on to their skewers (with adult supervision).

Recipe: Muffin Pizzas (makes 4)

What you will need:

• Chopping board
• Baking tray
• Bread and butter knife
• Oven mitts
• Serving plates
• Spatula

Ingredients:

• 10 Cherry tomatoes
• ½ Capsicum, diced
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 2tbsn Tomato paste
• ¾ cup reduced fat cheese
• 4 English-style muffins

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c.
2. Slice and dice the vegetables.
3. Grate the cheese.
4. Cut the muffins in half.
5. Spread the tomato paste on evenly.
6. Add the vegetables on top and sprinkle grated cheese.
7. Bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes.
8. Take off tray with spatula.

Carrots can be planted early to mid spring and take about 3 months to grow. Water carrot plants regularly.

Growing carrots

What you will need:

• Carrot seeds
• A large deep pot or a garden bed
• Potting mix
• Water

What to do:

1. With your finger push holes in a line about half a finger deep.
2. Sprinkle the seeds in the holes and cover with a thin layer of soil.
3. Press down soil and water.
4. Keep well watered for 10 days or until seedlings appear.
5. When the tops of the carrot plants reach about two hand lengths tall pull one out to check the carrots are starting to form.

Quick ideas for eating carrots

• Add cooked mashed carrot to mashed potato. For a crispy treat pipe onto a greased baking tray, sprinkle with cheese and cook under a grill for 5-10minutes until browned.
• Cut carrots into sticks and serve on vegie platter with chopped zucchini, celery, capsicum, snow peas and dips

Recipe:Carrot Mini Muffins (makes 24)

What you will need:

• Large mixing bowl
• 24 hole mini muffin tin
• Spoon for mixing
• Whisk

Ingredients:

• 150g self raising flour
• 150g mixed fruit muesli
• 2 medium carrots grated
• 100g brown sugar
• ½ tspn cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 150ml olive oil

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly oil mini muffin tin.
2. Mix flour, muesli, grated carrot, sugar and cinnamon in the bow.
3. Whisk eggs and add them to the dry mix.
4. Pour in oily and gently fold to combine.
5. Spoon evenly into muffin tin and bake for 12-15minutes.
6. Allow to rest in the tin for 5 minutes before removing.

Lettuce can be grown in garden beds or in pots (if there is enough room between the plants). They can be planted in spring and summer and need to be in a part sun position and watered daily.

Growing lettuce:

What you will need:

• Lettuce seeds
• Medium size pot or garden bed
• Potting mix
• Water

What to do:

1. Mark a line in the soil and sprinkle seeds along this line.
2. Cover the seeds with soil and water.
3. When the leaves are large and crisp they are ready to eat.
4. Pick leaves as you need them (more will continue to grow).
5. When the plant has a thick stalk in the centre it is ready to throw in the compost and grow a new lettuce.

Quick ideas for eating lettuce

• Add lettuce to sandwiches and salads.

Recipe: Salad Cups (makes 4)

What you will need:

• Chopping board
• Grater
• Mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Vegetable knife

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 celery stick, sliced
• 1 apple, grated
• 2 tbsp sultanas
• Squirt of orange juice

What to do:

1. Grate carrot and apple and put in the mixing bowl.
2. Chop the celery and cucumber and add to the bowl.
3. Add sultanas  and orange juice to bowl and stir through.
4. Tear the lettuce leaves off so they resemble small cups.
5. Spoon the mixture out of the bowl into each lettuce cup and serve.

Potatoes grow under ground and need to be in a full sun position. They need to be watered regularly and will grow in about 4 months.

Growing potatoes:

What you will need:

• Seed potatoes that are beginning to sprout
• A bucket or bin with holes at the bottom for drainage OR a deep garden bed
• Potting mix
• Water

What to do:

1. Fill the bin with 1/3 of the soil.
2. Put the potatoes on top and then cover with soil and water well.
3. As the stems and leaves grow up add more potting mix so that the stem is always covered.
4. After the flowers die off the potatoes are ready to harvest!

Ideas for eating potatoes

• Bake potatoes whole, spoon out some of the inside and fill with tomatoes and kidney beans and top with grated cheese to make jacket potatoes.

Recipe: Potato salad (serves 4)

What you will need:

• Chopping board
• Colander
• Medium Knife
• Mixing spoon
• Salad bowl
• Saucepan with lid
• Vegie peeler

Ingredients:

• 500g Potatoes, chopped & boiled
• 4 Spring onions
• ½ tspn mustard powder
• Black pepper
• Chopped parsley

Dressing:

• ½ cup reduced fat yoghurt
• ½ tspn ground cumin
• 1 tbspn lemon juice

What to do:

1. Peel potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks.
2. Add potatoes to saucepan and cover with water.
3. Place saucepan on stovetop and boil potatoes until a fork can easily be poked in.
4. Drain potatoes in a colander and set aside.
5. Slice up the spring onions and set aside.
6. Mix the dressing ingredients in the salad bowl.
7. Stir in the mustard powder, parsley and pepper.
8. Add the potatoes and spring onions and stir through gently.