Kale that has been left to grow will eventually flower and go to seed.

Currently regarded as one of the most healthy vegetables on Planet Earth, kale is packed full of nutrients, has incredible health benefits, and when well prepared, has a delicious flavour. It is easy to grow, needs minimal care, and will reward you with an awesome harvest for much longer than most of the other veggies in the Brassica family.

There are many different types of kale, all of which are very easily sown from seed. And you don’t need a huge patch to get an ongoing supply of leaves for the table (as you can see from the photograph).

Growing Kale

Kale requires reasonably rich soil; water; and a watchful eye to catch aphids and caterpillars before they eat your harvest before you do! While it prefers colder weather to grow in, it will thrive in most climates, though it does tend to become a bit tough and bitter when the weather is very hot.

Kale is a biennial plant, though most people normally grow it as an annual, and harvest the leaves after about 60 days. But left in the ground, it will continue to grow and get quite big. After two years it will flower and complete its life cycle.

Health Benefits of Kale

This super-plant has an exceptionally good concentration of antioxidant vitamins; specifically vitamins A, C and K, as well as phytonutrients that contain sulphur. It is also full of lutein and zeaxanthin compounds that do wonders for eye health; and the fibre content binds bile acids, and in so doing helps to lower cholestrol levels in the blood and reduce risks of heart disease. Vitamin K, which is needed for bone health and normal blood clotting, is one of the vitamins that have been found to help reduce risks associated with cancer. So this really is a veg to grow.

A minor warning is that because kale contains naturally occurring oxalates that may interfere with the absorption of calcium, it’s best not to mix calcium-rich foods with kale (and this includes dairy products).

Ways to Prepare Kale

Kale is quick and easy to prepare, and it can be added to salads or braised, just like spinach. Here are five quick and easy ideas for preparing and serving kale:

1. Slice red pepper, red onion and kale and serve with raisins or sultanas and garlic vinaigrette.
2. Braise chopped kale with apples; garnish with chopped pecan nuts or walnuts and splash with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
3. Cook like spinach with a few garlic cloves and a tablespoon or two of olive oil (no water). Season with a splash of red wine vinegar, salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
4. Combine wholegrain pasta with chopped raw kale, pine nuts and feta cheese mixed together in a little bit of olive oil.
5. The piece de resistance: kale chips. Slice the leaves into chip-sized pieces and place in a baking tray. Drizzle over a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 350 °F/ 180 °C. They should be light and crunchy, and very yummy.

Plant and enjoy!

Romanesco demands as much interest from photographers as it does from chefs. In fact there are some who say they use it as a centrepiece at dinner parties to generate conversation!

Close-up on a fractal broccoli

This intriguing vegetable is brightly coloured, absolutely beautiful and even a little bizarre, with sculptured lime-green conical buds on its spiral head that look like something out of the ocean or from prehistoric times. A food critic writing for the New York Times once described it as “an alien vegetable” that looked as if it had come from outer space.

Origin of Romanesco Broccoli

Italian in origin, it is sometimes described as a type of broccoli, sometimes as Roman cauliflower, and in Germany people often refer to it as a type of cabbage. Some people call it “fractal broccoli”.

It’s a Brassica oleracea species – as is broccoli (Brassica oleracea variety italica), brussels sprouts (var. gemmifera), cauliflower (var. botrytis), cabbage (var. capitata), kale (var. acephala), and kohlrabi (var. coulorapa).

Widely heralded as a “new type of broccoli”, Ronanesco broccoli/ cauliflower/ cabbage … or whatever you choose to call it, is anything but new! While some report that it is the result of “selective breeding”, this amazing veg has its roots very firmly in ancient 16^th century Italy.

Quite why it hasn’t been more popular than it is now is a bit of a mystery. But normally it’s got to do with marketing; and until chefs and authors like Jamie Oliver started to promote Romanesco relatively recently, vegetable producers didn’t appear to consider it to be a viable crop for resale. While it’s been available at farmer’s markets worldwide for a while, only now is it starting to creep onto supermarket shelves. And we say hooray!

Nutritional Benefits of Romanesco

In addition to being beautiful and very tasty, Romanesco is also one of those wonderfully healthy vegetables. It is said to improve ones eyesight, fight viruses, boost the immune system and generally make the body healthier than ever. It is packed full of vitamins C and K as well as anti-oxidants.

Grow Your Own Romanesco

Even though this intriguing vegetable looks unearthly, it’s just as easy to grow as cauliflower, broccoli and the other brassicas. It grows in much the same way, with thick, sturdy stalks that give rise to rough, wide leaves and a “flower” in the centre. It does though need full sun and lots of nutrients to grow well and thrive, and the soil should be well drained.

Like broccoli and the other related brassicas, Romanesco is a cool-season vegetable that will tend to “bolt” and go to seed if the weather becomes hot. So generally it is best to grow it in spring and autumn.

Cooking and Eating Romanesco

You can blanche, steam or even grill this vegetable – in fact whatever you do successfully with broccoli or cauliflower can be translated into a Romanesco version of the dish. But beware of overcooking.

We’ll give you more cooking ideas for this intriguing vegetable in a future blog post.

Try eating at least five types of fruit and veg a day.

A large percentage of the world’s population is overweight or obese, leading to health problems that cost trillions of dollars every year. And one of the reasons for this is that people don’t eat healthy food – like fresh fruit and vegetables.

Because of this Britain has launched a policy for reducing obesity and improving diet, and it’s the kind of policy that people everywhere in the world should take to heart.

Problems Related to Obesity

In England it has been found that most people are overweight or obese. Figures released by their Department of Health on March 25, 2013 state that this includes 61.3% of all adults, and 30% of children aged two to 15 years.

The problem is that overweight people have a much higher risk of getting Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Very fat people also find it more difficult to find employment; and obesity can have a direct effect on mental health and self esteem.

It is reported that health problems associated with obesity and being overweight cost the National Health Service more than £5-billion annually. By 2020 they want to see a sustained downward trend in excess weight levels of children, as well as a significant downward trend in excess weight levels of adults.

Overcoming Overweight and Obesity Problems

One of the best ways to lose weight is to eat and drink in a healthier manner. The other is to be more active.

In Britain the Department of Health is giving people advice on how to do this. They are also improving the labelling on drinks and food products and encouraging businesses and organisations to come to the party. Actions that they believe will help people eat more healthily include:

• reducing harmful ingredients in commercial foodstuffs (like salt and fat)
• helping people eat fewer calories (largely by downsizing portions)
• encouraging people to eat more fruit and veg – their recommendation is that everyone should have five portions of fruit and veg every day, and suggest people grow their own veggies at home

A Closer Look at the Fruit and Veg We Eat

The 5 A DAY programme states that most fruit and veg counts towards the five per day regime – and this includes dried, frozen and canned foods. But because there have been so many changes in agricultural practices over the past decade, the Department of Health’s Food Composition and Diet Team has undertaken a nutritional survey to assess food values. Their findings were published in the last week of March 2013, in four separate pdf documents totalling more than 2,315 pages. In short, it was found that in spite of changes in agricultural practices (especially the types of fertilizers that are now used, as well as increased geographic origins – including those of imported products – and an increasing number of new cultivars that are grown and made available commercially; as well as the fact that the handling of fruit and veggies after harvesting has also become more sophisticated) the nutritional content of fruit and vegetables sold commercially has remained unchanged. It’s still as good for you as it ever was.

The survey, Nutrient analysis of fruit and vegetables set out to analyse the nutritional composition of various vegetables, fruits, and vegetable-based products, including commonly used items like baked beans, potato products, tomato puree and several fruit juices. Fresh, frozen and canned products were included. A total of 1,073 samples were obtained from retail outlets and they were analysed for a range of nutrients that included vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and fat, protein, carbohydrates and fibre, as well as energy content. Asian-type foods that have recently become very popular worldwide (including baby spinach, rocket and pak choi) were also included in the survey.

To ensure that seasonal fruit and veg was fully covered, the sampling was done in two batches: summer and autumn, and autumn and winter.

The Result

“There is no evidence of major changes in the nutrient content of fruit and vegetables based on this survey and any changes are unlikely to be nutritionally significant in a varied diet.”

Nutrient analysis of fruit and vegetables is just one of many ongoing nutrient analysis surveys that they carry out in an endeavour to monitor the diet of those living in the UK, and to be able to provide information about food that is up to date and relevant.

But at the end of the day we can all monitor our own diets, and it really isn’t difficult to increase our consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.

American researchers have discovered that what we eat directly affects the way we sleep. Whilst those who know how important it is to eat fresh vegetables will also know that this isn’t rocket science, it’s a welcome declaration in a country where junk food has been the norm for so long.

Saturated fats and choline (found in fatty meat and eggs), as well as tea. chocolate and alcohol were all blamed for poor sleep patterns.

The study was carried out at the University of Pennsylvania, under lead researcher, Michael Grandner from the University’s Centre for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology. He said that while many people realize that there is some sort of relationship between how we sleep and what we eat, there have been few scientific studies to find out exactly why this is so.

It’s “an important area to explore going forward as we know that short sleep duration is associated with weight gain and obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease,” he said.

The Idea of Short Sleep

For the purposes of the study, sleep patterns were categorized as:

• very short – fewer than five hours per night,
• short – five to six hours in a night,
• standard – seven to eight hours,
• long – nine hours or longer.

Diet Data Collected

In an endeavour to ensure the most reliable research results, participants were questioned by trained people who then recorded everything that was consumed in an average day. This included meals and drinks, even glasses of water (which of course would affect hydration). They also look at the demographics of participants, socio-economic factors, physical activities and physical characteristics (including obesity).

Sleep and Diet Study Results

Generally a higher calorie intake tallied with the worst sleep patterns, right across the board. People who consumed a limited variety of foods tended to suffer from restless sleep; conversely, people who ate a wide variety of foods tended to sleep better.

The study found that an excess of fatty food; too little vitamin C, selenium and lycopene; and dehydration, all have an adverse effect on our sleep patterns.

You can grow healthy food in your own garden - and get a good night's sleep to boot.

The best sources of vitamin C include veggies we can grow in our own gardens, including broccoli, peppers and a variety of dark leafy greens. Oranges are, of course, another invaluable source of vitamin C. Similarly red and orange-coloured foods, including tomatoes, can be grown at home – and these contain valuable lycopene. Selenium is found in shellfish, meat and nuts.

Saturated fats and choline (found in fatty meat and eggs), as well as tea and chocolate (both of which contain theobromin, a molecule similar to caffeine), and alcohol were all blamed for poor sleep patterns.

Research Conclusions

Generally, said Grandner, the people who said they slept seven or eight hours a night displayed “diet differences” to those who said they slept less – and those who slept more. In addition, both short and long sleep were found to be associated with “lower food variety”.

So it seems that it is not only true to say “you are what you eat”. What you eat also determines how well you sleep.

How to Eat Better and Improve your Sleep Patterns

The message is loud and clear. First of all, avoid saturated fats and the other foodstuffs that stop us all from sleeping soundly. Drink lots of water. And eat healthy, vitamin-rich foods, particularly fruit, nuts and veggies including tomatoes and leafy greens.

What better reason do you need to start a veggie patch in your own backyard?

Fast-growing curly kale and marogo (African spinach) growing in a veggie patch (see photo below for the same patch three weeks later!)

There’s a lot that’s been written recently about the value of raw food that includes nutritional information about many of the vegetables that we can grow in our own backyards.

But if you’re serious about the value of raw, which veggies should you concentrate on producing? Australian author and digestive health and RAW food teacher, Scott Mathias says it in half a sentence: “All greens, reds, yellows and white vegetables”.

What a pleasure!

Why Raw Food is Good for You

Mathias, who has just published his first book Understanding The Divine Gut: How to Eat Your Way to Ultimate Digestive Health, explains that live plant-based food is much easier to digest than cooked food, and it provides more nutrients, at the same time minimizing the impurities that enter our bodies.

Furthermore, raw foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts and protein plants like hemp) provide digestive enzymes of their own, which means that the stomach doesn’t have to do this job.

Enzymes, he explains, are essential, not least for getting rid of ingredients (including chemicals) we don’t need. They break down the food that we eat and release the valuable nutrients that we need to live. Enzymes give us energy, enable cells to grow and repaid, and basically act as our personal body building blocks.

Old people, and sick people, have fewer enzymes, while people with bad dietary habits need more enzymes to digest the food that they eat. And if we don’t eat the right food, it becomes a vicious circle. He learnt the hard way, having been brought up on a diet of meat, dairy and wheat that his digestive system couldn’t cope with.

From personal experience, he has concluded, “proper nutrition might just play a major part in the healing of illness”.

And while you can’t produce everything you need to be completely health, a well-kept veggie garden certainly is a good start.

So What to Grow in Your Own Backyard?

Really anything that will grow in the conditions in your garden at any particular time of the year. Tomatoes (a powerful antioxidant), spinach, eggplants and peppers are always rewarding, as are the many herbs, like parsley and rocket that you can add to salads and other raw meals.

Mathias chooses to balance his metabolism by eating caloric-balanced foods – “fruit, red and green natural foods” – that are in season. Top of his list are:

• tomatoes,
• strawberries,
• beetroot (another antioxidant),
• carrots,
• kale, that he points out has “five times more protein by volume than cow meat”.

In addition he advocates any “indigenous foods” that might be available in your part of the world.

One interesting African example is marogo (Amaranthus), a type of indigenous spinach that has been attracting quite a lot of attention recently. Easy to grow, it is said to have even more nutrients than kale, and tastier than kale, which can be quite bitter.

With the world of the Internet at your fingertips, you can get seeds from anywhere on the planet and cook what is indigenous in other parts of the world – from African marogo to American heirloom tomatoes. What’s stopping you? And while you’re at it, don’t forget about companion planting. Your harvest will definitely improve!

The morogo is now more than 1,5 m tall, and the kale has more than doubled in size.

In the not too distant future, the Chinese hope to be growing vegetables on the moon and/or on Mars as part of their astronauts’ life support system.

Plans to grow and harvest vegetables on Mars

According to a report released to the media by China’s state press agency, Xinhau in December 2012, Chinese astronauts will soon be putting this plan into action following laboratory tests undertaken in Beijing. Only four types of veg will be grown initially, and all in what they term an “ecological life support system”. This is a cabin with a volume of 300 cubic meters that will enable Chinese astronauts to develop stocks of food, as well as air and water.

The Chinese Extra-Terrestrial Vegetable Experiment

In the experiment (which was undertaken in collaboration with German scientists), researchers successfully used this type of cabin (built in 2011) to provide enough air, food and water for two people. It is not clear how long they lived in the cabin, but they were able to grow veg and eat it to survive.

The system will rely on both algae and plants and is expected “to be used in extra-terrestrial bases” on the planet Mars or on the moon. This is the very first ever experiment of this kind undertaken in China.

The Long-Term Extra-Terrestrial Veggie Plan

According to Deng Yibing, deputy director of the Chinese Astronaut Research and Training Centre in Beijing, the idea is to ensure that astronauts are able to harvest their own fresh veggies to eat.

“Chinese astronauts may get fresh vegetables and oxygen supplies by gardening in extra-terrestrial bases in the future.”

It was only recently that the US decided to pull back on its manned activities in space, and China has not wasted any time in getting its part of the action. While China hasn’t yet put a man on the moon (like the USA) this Asian superpower is aiming to do so soon – probably in the second half of 2013. And supposedly that’s why they need fresh veg for their astronauts.

China’s first astronaut in space was Yang Liwei who was recently quoted as saying that there was a plan by Chinese astronauts to launch a branch of the country’s ruling Community Party in space. Serious or not, he was quoted as saying: “If we establish a party branch in space, it would also be the ‘highest’ of its kind in the world”.

In the meantime it’s a lot less effort growing good, wholesome vegetables in your own veggie garden.

There’s nothing better than being able to pick fresh herbs and salad veggies seconds before you need them.  But what do you do if you have limited space or limited sunlight?

As our garden is tropical and quite shady – there’s not too many areas where we can grow veggies and herbs.  But – we came across the perfect solution.

3 months ago we acquired a fantastic vertical stacker from Productive Gardens – purchased online and delivered within 24 hours.

Once we assembled it (and our 10 year old grandson did most of the work!) we added some good quality potting mix.  We added a few lettuces, chives and herbs and watered regularly.  Unfortunately not a lot happened.  The plants were edible, but didn’t thrive.

Time for analysis and experimentation.  We realised that we’d been neglecting the 3 basic rules – sun, nutrition and water.  Here’s what we did.

1. We went online to ebay and purchased some fantastic rotted horse manure mixed with sawdust from an enterprising local stable.  It was delivered within 48 hours.  Very cheap and really good quality. We dug this through the potting mix and let it rest for a week.
2. We  purchased some quality sugar cane mulch – also through ebay – and this was delivered asap. We topped up the soil with mulch and this really helped to keep the moisture in.
3. We visited our local farmers market and purchased a bunch of lettuces, chillies and herbs. These were so much healthier looking (and far cheaper) than anything we’d purchased before from Bunnings and the local garden centres.  We planted these into the stacker, and gave them a good watering in with a mild mix of seaweed solution to help the roots.
4. We also move the stacker twice a day – following the sun.  It’s so easy to move as the whole thing is on wheels.  On super hot days we move the stacker into partial shade when we see things wilting.

Needless to say our kitchen garden stacker is absolutely thriving!  It’s fantastic now.

Originally planted in late October with seedlings from the local farmers market.	The December abundance of thriving herbs and veggies. We’ve eaten most of the lettuce, so time to put in so more.  See how much the chilli plant in the top has grown!

• We pick from it every day – and this constant “pruning” keeps new growth happening.
• We have no pest or disease damage at all because the soil is healthy and the “smell” of the spring onions keeps them away from the other plants.  Plus it’s impossible for possums to get to!
• Plus this wonderful little garden is a constant topic of conversation when we have friends and family over.  We send them out to pick from it when it’s cooking time and they love to be involved – particularly the kids.

It’s really satisfying to buy something online and find that you’ve made a great investment. Not only is the product good and the service excellent, it has given us an abundance of fresh veggies and herbs, and a lot of fun.

I can highly recommend the Veggie Stacker from Productive Gardens.

The Dalai Lama put it best when he said, “We have a responsibility to look after our planet. It is our only home.”

Our planet is warming up and many scientists believe we humans are the cause of the heat. This causes the Greenhouse Effect. And it just keeps getting hotter and hotter and hotter…  As if that isn’t enough, the whole globe is suffering an economic downturn like we’ve never known before.

Is there no hope?

There’s plenty of hope. YOU can do something about it – and save some of your hard earned money too.  Kermit the Frog was wrong – it’s easy being green, and it’s easy to save money at the same time.

Here’s just 5 of 125 tips to help you save money, and wastage. Just by making simple changes to your lifestyle, this is what can happen:

1. You will stop wasting water and still have enough. Tip: If you live in a hot dry place, you can help your garden’s soil by adding polymers.
   These help by retaining moisture for longer periods, thereby helping plants and flowers to grow more efficiently. They’re absolutely fantastic for pots.
2. You will stop wasting electricity and still have enough. Tip: Put a lid on it. Cooking requires heat, so conserve it to save money. Keep a lid on all the pans being used in cooking. Water will boil around 6% faster in pans with a lid on, thereby saving time, electricity and your money, as well as giving the environment a break.
3. You will stop wasting fuel in your car and still have more than enough. Tip: Driving smoothly will put less stress on your car. It will consume less fuel too. The car parts will last longer and the fuel will get you further.
4. You can stop wasting food and still have more than enough. Tip: How many times do you or your children eat a bowl of cereal and end up with all the cereal gone, but a quarter cup of milk left at the bottom of the bowl, which usually gets tipped down the sink? You could save around 24 litres (six gallons) of milk a year if the cereal and the milk both ended at the same time. Put in less milk! You’ll save money and ease up a little on the need for milk production too.
5. You can stop wasting money on expensive beauty products and still get the desired results:  Tip: Cucumber juice patted on face and left to dry will dominish the appearance of wrinkles.

Get the Right Advice

Our new ebook gives you 125 ways to Save Money and Save the Planet at the same time.

• Why parking the right way can save you 25% better fuel economy
• How to improve your fuel consumption
• How much poor wheel alignment can cost you

And that’s just your car!

You will also learn how to Go Green – Save Green for

• Your kitchen
• Your home
• Your garden
• At the office
• While shopping
• While holidaying

There’s a million places where you can make small changes and reap huge benefits.

We recently had a Qld Government energy saving rep come and do an assessment of our home, and at the end he scratched his head and said – “I can’t give you any recommendations”.  You’re doing everything already that I usually suggest. We know we could do more – but not in this house.  We’ll have to build an eco friendly house and replace all our appliances to reduce our carbon footprint even more.  But it’s good to know we’ve done everything possible at this place.  It feels rewarding – plus we’ve saved a heap of money compared to what we’ve paid in the past.

Energy costs are continuing to skyrocket. While you can’t do much to change that, you can save some of the money you are currently wasting, often without costing you any money

It is easy to do – once you know what to do and you make a commitment.

Please visit this page to find out more – Go Green.

One huge advantage of growing your own veggies at home is that you can control what is used to fertilize them and deter the bugs that invariably try to eat them before you do.

But why is this important?

Pest-killing Chemicals Contaminate Our Food

A recent news report out of Israel states that a third of the pesticides they use are banned in Europe, and that the Israel Union for Environmental Defense found high levels of as many as 105 pesticides in fruit and veg grown in that country. Those most affected were apples, grapes and celery.

This doesn’t mean that what they are doing in Israel is illegal, but one wonders how easily the treated crops could reach our own tables. Israel exports food all over the world, and so how would you even guess that it might be contaminated?

Even if you don’t live in Israel or buy food that originated there, there may be food on your supermarket shelves that has been treated with pesticides that ironically lower their “quality”.  Particularly scary is the fact that many modern pesticides have been formulated so that the stuff that kills the bugs can’t be removed by watering (clearly to stop it washing off in the rain).

Do you want to consume pesticides?

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are at least 20,000 pesticides on the market and about 1-billion pounds of pesticide are used every year for agriculture. That’s just in the US. Even the cynics are beginning to realize that they do do damage!

The ideal is organic vegetables that have not been treated with pesticides.

Vegetables you can Expect to Have Been Treated with Pesticides

In June 2012, the US Environmental Working Group (EWG), which aims to do everything possible to protect the environment and public health, produced a list of the 12 produce items with the highest pesticide content.

Apples and celery topped the list (in keeping with the Israeli findings), while grapes popped in at number seven. The rest, from three to 12 were, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce, and kale and collard greens.

Fruit and Veg that Escape the Pesticide Plague

The EWG also published a list of the least contaminated fruit and veg. from 1-15:

Onions, corn, pineapples, avocado, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, eggplant, cantaloupe, kiwifruit, cabbage, watermelon, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, and mushrooms.

Interesting that tomatoes don’t feature on either list.

The Solution?

Grow your own veggies at home. Use organic fertilizers and natural pesticides; and practice companion planting.

Our book Companion Planting for Veggies comes with a free bonus book Natural Pest Control Remedies. It contains 50 tips and recipes for banishing pests in your veggie garden using safe and natural solutions.  You can easily make them in your kitchen!

I’m really excited about what we’ve been able to achieve in a small area. Although our garden is a standard suburban size, the vegetable growing area is very limited due to being surrounded by lots of tall trees and palms – so there’s not a lot of area that gets enough sun.

My clever husband installed a raised garden bed over the top of our in-ground spa (which didn’t work anyway cause the pipes were strangled by tree roots) and we’ve got an abundant ongoing crop of gorgeous veggies and herbs.

There’s tomatoes, zucchini, snow peas, parsley, bok choy, thai basil, chives . . . yum! It’s much better this season than last, as we prepared the soil with lots of horse manure a month before planting, and the lack of rain in Brisbane means we’ve not experienced diseases like last year . . . We regularly feed with juice from our worm farm too…

And when it does rain – the nutrient rich water drips through to the spa underneath.  We then put a hose into the “well” underneath (through the spa steps opening at the front) and attach it to a cheap pump we bought on ebay and spray the gorgeous black water back over all our garden beds.  Recycling at it’s best!

Here’s a couple of close ups

I keep picking these beautiful snow peas and munching them before they get to our salads. I’m sure  my poor husband thinks the possums are getting them!  The nutrients in snow peas are fiber, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, healthy fats, iron, potassium, magnesium, folic acid and antioxidants. These nutrients have the ability to relieve and prevent inflammation, cancers, eye diseases, scurvies and digestive issues.		Look at these wonderful zucchinis (courgettes) in our raised bed.  They taste so much better and fresher than anything you buy in a supermarket. Notice the little meter – that’s a soil tester and helps us keep track of the soil pH so it’s just right. One cup of zucchini has 36 calories and 10% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating.