fbpx

Kitchen Gardening + a Pecan and Carrot Top Pesto Recipe (Video)

We've been called for a while now to prioritise more time for the things that we enjoy. Time to slow down a little, appreciate nature and the natural world, and live more in alignment with it. We have an absolutely beautiful planet and I’m continuously in awe of the magical interplay between the order of the seasons and the cycles of nature; our potential for a harmonious relationship with other humans and for nurturing our soil and our earth; and the immense blessing our planet brings us in return.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been prioritising reflection, rest and connecting back into my roots. One of the ways that I’ve found helps me to feel more grounded, is good old fashioned gardening.

And today I’ve got a great NO WASTE recipe for Pecan and Carrot Top Pesto plus a special discount offer for you to get into growing your own from your own kitchen! 

But first, gardening can bring so much joy, when you consider the offering that can exist within even one herb that shoots straight up from the ground, or your first sun-sweetened strawberry fresh off the plant, still warm, with its ticklish external texture and intense burst of flavour juice that tangs your taste buds and stains your lips with a beautiful ruby-red tint.

With our fast paced lifestyles, and love of convenience, food has been transformed from something we were once in tune with, connected to, loved and respected, into a commodity. But the more we connect back to our roots, the more in tune we can be. 

Home grown produce beats the taste of anything that you’ll find on the supermarket shelves. There’s just so much still to learn and to be grateful for in the process of growing, harvesting, gathering, preparing and enjoying the foods that the earth naturally provides for us.

When growing your own produce, being able to control what and how you produce it, from using organic soils that are free from synthetic fertilisers and sprays, to cultivating more traditional methods of growing, means good results for you and the planet.

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.

When I made the decision to grow my own food, after seeing my food budget as an investment in our world and wanting to have an effect on stewarding this earth and embracing the community around me, I bought a couple of Vegepods which have been producing the most flavour-packed produce, filled with vital nutrients. It’s actually more economical to eat home-grown, and I’ve also been able to pass on any excess produce to neighbours, family and friends. What I love about having a Vegepod is that they make gardening easy and definitely less intimidating.

If you’re keen to make the switch and swap out regular big grocery shops for fresh bounty from your kitchen garden, 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 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.

And now for a delicious no waste pesto recipe that takes advantage of the Vegepod Kitchen Garden and fresh home grown greens and will have you glowing like a health god/goddess from head to toe.

Pecan and Carrot Top Pesto (No waste recipe)

Watch the video here

This pesto takes a unique angle with the earthy flavours of pecans combined with glowing green carrot tops. Serve on eggs, crackers or flatbread, add to pasta or pizza, or serve as an accompaniment to chicken or fish dishes.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 Handful carrot tops
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 tablespoon lemon rind
  • 1 tbs lemon or lime juice
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • small pinch of sea salt
  • 1 cup handful rocket
  • 1 cup basil
  • Small handful of coriander or flat leaf parsley, whatever you have in your Vegepod or kitchen garden

Method

Place all ingredients in high-speed blender or food processor and blend until you have the desired consistency. Add more olive oil if needed.

Tastes great in a wrap or sandwich, with pasta, salads and roasted vegetables.

Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be refreshed with an extra splash of extra virgin olive oil.

4 Responses to “Kitchen Gardening + a Pecan and Carrot Top Pesto Recipe (Video)”

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

  2. Nicole says:

    Thanks Lee, this is timely for me after succumbing to darn covid after avoiding it for 2.5 years! We often find we slip with eating habits. Time to revisit your amazing healthy food recipes and advice!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Instagram

[jr_instagram id="3"]

Free supercharged recipes delivered to your inbox!

When you register for our newsletter you'll also receive a FREE gut health recipe ebook.