Pecan and Carrot Top (No Waste) Pesto

If you’re keen to make the move from a more product based lifestyle to a produce based one, there is no time like the present to get your hands dirty.

Gardening is an activity that you can do alone or get the kids involved too. The benefits of growing your own food are enormous, from its taste, right through to its economic and environmental impacts.

The good news is that you don't need a traditional garden space to start gardening. Even if you’re a novice gardener, have managed to annihilate even the hardiest of houseplants or, if you’ve a tendency to neglect windowsill herbs positioned at eye level in the kitchen, I want to arm you with some very important information.

Vegepods are now on the move indoors! Move over paddock to plate, we now have Veges-to-table.

The new Vegepod Kitchen Garden is as cute as a cute-cumber! 

Plus it will do all the hard work for you. From sunshine to good soil that drains well, regular watering, and a little love and kindness. Ok maybe the love and kindness part you might need to help out with ;).

An easy to grow kitchen-garden bursting with flavour is now a lot simpler than you think. Goodbye expensive supermarket herbs that are limp and bedraggled the day after you buy them. The Vegepod Kitchen Garden allows you to enjoy the intense, vibrant colours of home-grown produce, ripened by nothing apart from the air and sun spectrum grow lights, in a beautifully simple growing space that will be a focal point in the kitchen.

Imagine waking up to the unmistakable scents of fresh basil and rosemary that waft up into your nostrils as you put the kettle on each morning.

Kitchen Gardens are a dream come true in the kitchen; there’s hardly a dish that doesn’t benefit from their bounty. With the new Vegepod Kitchen Garden, you can mix and mingle all manner of greens, to enhance your meals and drinks, both culinarily and medicinally.

Vegepod Kitchen Garden gives you the opportunity to grow your food, whenever you want, whatever your climate, irrespective of the space you have, just as nature intended. They come with adjustable light heights, plug, manual switch or timer-controlled app and some effervescent professional grow lights.

I asked Simon Holloway from Vegepod (also my neighbour!) a few questions about the new Vegepod Kitchen Garden and here’s what he had to say;

The kitchen truly is the heart of the home, and the new Vegepod Kitchen Garden ensures the heart of your home will become a supercharged paradise. Why do you think more people are delving into growing their own food and what are the benefits? 

There are quite a few very strong and worthy reasons these days why people are joining our Grow Your Food, each with their own priorities but the benefits are all the ultimately achieved by everyone anyway – better health, better mind, better wallet and better for the planet! Some are growing to combat the cost-of-living pressures, some are all about their health (gut health, physical activity, mind wellbeing), some are all about the flavours and better taste, some are about the convenience of readily available fresh herbs when cooking, some are about reducing waste (both physical wrapping and the carbon footprint of store bought goods) and some are about self-empowerment and education. Whatever the priorities, Vegepod has made it almost failproof and it all combines to a win-win-win-win + a few more wins, anyway! 

Leonardo da Vinci  said “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” the design not only has a beautiful simplicity but also for all the kitchen pragmatists out there (guilty as charged ;)) it has a load of practical considerations like signature self-watering reservoirs and full spectrum UV lights that promote ginormous growth rates! Was it a long time in the making and did you encounter any stumbling blocks along the way? 

Yes, it was a really long gestation period for our new baby! Three years in the making from “go to woah” to be exact, from early pencil designs and brainstorming sessions to being produced in our factory. And to be honest, you could also say this has actually been 10 years in the making when you consider that we have always had thoughts on “bringing Vegepod indoors” combined with our studious eyes always checking existing indoor edible technologies and practices. We are so proud of not just our signature quality in growing technology and innovation, but also the aesthetics on this one.  These pieces of ‘growing and lit up art’ have to look damn fine amongst the choosiest of high-end kitchens, designer rooms and other emotionally charged places in the home or workspace. We humbly think we have got the balance right with Kitchen Garden.

The Vegepod Kitchen Garden makes edible gardening even more accessible to all. You guys have a thriving community of Podders around the world that are so loving their Vegepods, myself included. What do you recommend for non-green-thumbs and people who are just starting out and keen to venture into the world of growing their own, from the comfort of their kitchen countertops?  

Just start growing with one thing! Don’t be afraid, just dive in and enjoy the journey. It’s so fun, so meaningful, so fulfilling and so healthy. There is no such thing as a black-thumb or green-thumb - just those who have got stuck in and those who haven’t. Life is too short not to enjoy growing your own food to some degree. Both Vegepod Outdoor and Kitchen Garden do help enormously and make things very easy for whoever, so whether you’re a first timer or an expert, just dig in and get growing. You will not regret it, I promise!

To celebrate the release of the Kitchen Garden, Vegepod have kindly offered a 10% discount to all Supercharged Food readers so you can pre-order now for delivery in December.  Just use the code SUPERCHARGED10 at the checkout here.

For a delicious no waste Pecan and Carrot Top Pesto recipe made with Vegepod Kitchen Garden greens, click here.

Has gut health gut you curious?

Perhaps I can help with that?

Today, we’re going to talk all about postbiotics, but before we get into the nitty gritty, you have to understand the basics of the gut microbiome, so we’ll start there. 

Hold onto your microbes; it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Why is the Gut Microbiome Important? 

I want you to imagine a new town with various people. While some contribute positively to the environment, others… not so much. The community changes over the years depending on external stressors and travellers, but the population stabilises as a whole. 

When the town’s going well, most people are law-abiding and moral, living harmoniously and doing what they can to support the city. If there are unhelpful people, they tend to be kept in check by everyone else. However, some events may cause these not-so-great people to multiply, leading to a population filled with not-so-good people. 

Now, imagine that town is your gut microbiome. 

In a healthy microbiome, the bulk of microbes are good or neutral, living in harmony to support digestion and nutrient production processes. When disruptive events occur, the not-so-good microbes can multiply and overgrow, which can manifest itself in different ways, such as yeast infections or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).   You can read more about SIBO here.

The good news is that, like our town, it is possible to improve and change the state of the gut. You can improve your gut microbiota and gut health by consuming specific foods, such as probiotics.

What are Probiotics? 

If you’re here, I’m sure you’ve heard of probiotics – the positive live and active cultures that better sleep, improve immune function and promote a thriving digestive system. While the gut naturally produces some strains of probiotics, other essential strains can only be consumed through food or supplementation. Certain foods contain live microbes, such as fermented vegetables, kombucha and kefir. 

What are Prebiotics? 

If probiotics are flowers, prebiotics are the soil and fertiliser. Prebiotics increase the diversity of gut bacteria and promote the growth of probiotics. Prebiotics naturally occur in many plant-based foods, including unripe bananas, asparagus, oats and legumes. 

Need a Prebiotic recipe? my tray bake fits the bill and has all the answers.

Get Your Prebiotics in with My Prebiotic Tray Bake

What are Synbiotics? 

Synbiotics combine the power of probiotics with the potency of prebiotics to positively impact the digestive system in a supercharged, easily absorbable way. Synbiotics are more than just the sum of their parts, as they contain live microorganisms and substrates to create a health benefit for the host. Synbiotics aid metabolic syndrome, reduce parasites and pathogens, manage irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhoea, atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions.¹  

You’re probably eating synbiotics already, but you may not be getting enough; this is where Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder comes into place. Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder will help you repair, restore, and rebalance your gut health from within. It contains 20 billion bits of love for your bacteria in the shape of a unique synbiotic formulation, with plenty of digestive enzymes and a supercharged blast of antioxidants. 

What are Postbiotics? 

So, what are postbiotics?

Unlike probiotics, postbiotics aren’t live microorganisms. They are the waste left behind after the body has digested both prebiotics and probiotics.² They take the line ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ to a whole new level. Postbiotics contain peptides that help slow the growth of harmful bacteria and short-chain fatty acids, which allow good bacteria to flourish. In this way, they seem similar to probiotics, but they offer additional perks. 

While postbiotics are an emerging and evolving field, they may have anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.² Some preliminary research shows that postbiotics boost the gut health of premature babies, young children, and critically ill patients by promoting communication between the gut bacteria and immune system.³

You can help promote the growth of postbiotics by focusing on getting enough of the foods that promote a healthy gut bacterium, including prebiotic-rich foods like asparagus, onion, chicory root, dandelion greens and root vegetables. 

According to Peptides Australia, peptides are particularly valuable in reducing inflammation and enhancing the body's ability to repair tissues, further promoting gut health. Their presence in postbiotics adds another layer of benefit, making them an essential component in maintaining a balanced and healthy microbiome.

To transform your gut into a postbiotic producing machine, be sure to include Love Your Gut Synbiotic Powder. Simply add one teaspoon of the delicious tasting powder to your water to support your gut in its natural production of postbiotics; you can thank me later! 

There's nothing like homemade kombucha on a hot day

And now I'd love to share with you a simple Homemade Kombucha Recipe.

Kombucha has also been linked to a myriad of other benefits such as improved digestion, fighting candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, mental clarity, and mood stability. It truly is a tonic rather than simply a yummy beverage.

Don’t be afraid of the fermenting process which can seem like a complex lab operation rather than a kitchen recipe. Honestly, you just have to take the plunge and enter into the world of fermentation to realise that with some basic knowledge of the way bacteria feed on a constant supply of sugars, the process of keeping your culture alive and enjoying it’s wonderful and delicious creations is actually a very straightforward, common sense process that will become part of your daily rhythm.

Once you get the hang of making it, you can flavour it up with ginger and turmeric or even berries. Purchase a SCOBY online or, if you’re very lucky, a friend might give you one. You can buy kombucha online or at a health food store, although once you’ve made your first batch, you won’t need to buy it any more.

You’ll also need a breathable cloth such as muslin (I use a nut bag), a rubber band, and one sterilised wide-mouthed, 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cup) capacity glass jar with a lid (Mason jar).

Homemade Kombucha

Ingredients:

• 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) filtered water
• 2 organic black tea bags
• 55 g (2 oz/ 1/4 cup) organic sugar
• 1 SCOBY (see above)
• 100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) homemade or store-bought kombucha (see above)

Method:

Put the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 20 minutes. Remove the tea bags, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Pour the tea into the sterilised jar, then add the SCOBY and the kombucha. Cover with muslin, secure with a rubber band and write the date on the jar.

Store undisturbed in a cool, dark, dry place for 7 days, then test it to see if it’s ready. It should be fizzy and slightly sour/vinegary. If it’s still sweet, let it ferment for a day or so longer (usually up to 10 days).

Once the kombucha is ready, carefully remove the SCOBY using a clean long-handled spoon and place it on a plate with a little of the liquid to stop it drying out (then use it to make another batch straight away). Pour out 100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) of the kombucha and keep aside to make another batch, then pour the remaining liquid into a jug through a sieve and then into a clean glass bottle with a lid. Secure the lid tightly and make a note on the bottle of the date. The kombucha will keep in the fridge for 2–4 weeks.

Stay Supercharged! 

References 

¹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4648921/

²https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468815/

³https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6801921/