Get kids to eat more vegetables by growing a ‘soup square’
WITH the start of autumn comes the thought of comfort food – warming casseroles and hearty soups. But why not give your kids their own veggie plot to encourage them to grow the ingredients to make their own soup, asks HANNAH STEPHENSON.
It’s an idea being encouraged by the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, which is running the Big Soup Share from October 7-13, when more than 1,000 schools will harvest and cook their own produce to share.
“You don’t need acres of space. A couple of small pots can provide enough for several batches of soup,” says Emma Griffith, RHS schools and groups content co-ordinator, who offers these tips on how to get started:
Plan your plot
ARRANGE your ingredients in a square so that everything you need to whip up a tasty treat is within easy reach.
Map out your ‘soup square’
MARK out a growing area of 1m x 1m using string, and a bamboo cane or stick on each corner. If space allows, consider creating several squares to grow ingredients for different soup flavours.
Sow and plant
FOLLOWING your plan, sow the seeds as per the packet instructions, or if you’re short on time, buy plug plants (small, partially grown plants) which can be planted directly into the soil to give you a head start. Autumn is the ideal time to sow broad beans, garlic bulbs and overwintering onion sets.
Look after your soup square
Check on your plot regularly and in the spring, thin out rows of seedlings where needed, to give them space to grow. Extend the growing season for crops planted earlier in the year by protecting from early frosts using fleece or cloches, and keep an eye out for pests. Water regularly, and keep well weeded.
Add a garnish
ADD a hit of flavour to soups or other recipes by growing herbs such as parsley, basil and chives. Even in the winter, many herbs can be grown on a sunny kitchen windowsill and simply snipped off the plant as needed.
Harvest
REAP the fruits of your labour when harvest time arrives, usually when the crop has ripened or the leaves start to die back. If you have a glut of produce, soup can easily be cooked and frozen, ready to warm up on the coldest of winter days.