,This post is in response to LOH Contest#81
Let me start my appreacting everyone in this community for your information contributions am always inspired any time I come in here
This is my very first time sending my Entry to the Contest. For me it a bold step
- 1️⃣ If you plan to grow a vegetable garden, what is your favorite vegetable to grow and what dishes do you use if for? Feel free to include a special recipe using that vegetable
When it comes to preparing dishes I hold two major opinions first one is that I believe in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and secondly I believe that it is not everything one should buy in the market.
It's okay for me to say that I come from a family where peasant farming is the order of the day. We practically grow majority of our consumption. My father love's taking us to farm and teaching us how things are done in the farm and my mother being an Agric teacher herself takes advantage of every available space in the compound to plant vegetables And rear animals. So you will agree with me that growing up I had a lot of faming doing however, it was always compensating because I had quite a lot of the dividends of being a child of an A Agricultural science teacher to enjoy.
Presently, In my neighborhood, I am almost synanimous with rearing of animals and planting vegetables and you know where I got that from right?
During the COVID 19 pandemic, my garden was a run to for me and my neighbours Come to fetch vegetable
myself in the garden
Presently I have a garden I tend everyday loaded with various kind of plants vegetables like jute mallow popularly known as a ewedu among yorubas in Western Nigeria, okra Indian spinach both the red spinach and the white spinach (Amunututu) in yoruba I also have the pumpkin leaf (Ugu), the African Spinach (Tete), Lagos spinach (soko), saint leave (efirin) bitter leaf (ewuro) Curry leaf to mention but a few.
In the farm harvesting vegetables
white Indian spinach(Amunututu)
Red Indian Spinach (Amunututu)
Jute mallow (Ewedu)
Lagos spinach (Soko)
English Spinach
Bitter leaf
Curry leaf
Now,in an attepmt to answering the question of my favorite vegetable
this implies that among all theses veggies and More which one would I love to plant. **pumpkin is the name of my number one vegetable. I will love to plant it again band again give it up to the pumpkin leaf known Ugu. Ugu is one vegetable that is so rich in iron and other nutrients that are beneficial to the body gone are the days when people had the mentality that we believe is only meant for the eagles or those who are from the Eastern part of Nigeria now everybody no matter your ethnicity or race your colour now enjoy the benefits inherent in the pumpkin. It is a generally accepted vegetable in Nigeria
Pumpkin leaf
Am not in any way trying to say that other vegetables are no nutritional not at all the fact remains that Ugu that is pumpkin vegetable stands out amongst them all
Interestingly, am not planning to plant a fresh pumpkin seed, I have done that about 5 years ago I I tell you emphatically, my Ugu is still tuning up. No matter how dry it get during the dry seasoning with continuous watering, it springs up again
It has been a life saver for years*** economically nutritionally and otherwise. Amazingly it is a go-to for all kinds of dishes one can use Ugu to cook soup sauce porridge without spending much money unlike other vegetables that you you will can't really use them for many dishes.i so much enjoy it when I use ugu as a source for my white rice instead of stew. It is so cheap and easy and quick to prepare and guess what your body gets to thank you for feeding it with right nutrients it deserves.
Ingredients needed
Ugu
Meat
Stockfish
Dry fish
cups stock and water
Scotch bonnet pepper
Onions
Palm oil
seasoning (optional)cup crayfish
3 Seasoning cubes
salt
ugu leaves
Preparation
Instruction on how to cook Ugu igoes thus
First thing is to pick out the pumpkin leave and worship thoroughly then you slide it into beautiful shaves I prefer tinny, blend your paper and onions not too smooth
Place a net pots on your cooker an allow to dry up then your desired amount of oil remember the amount of oil is dependent on the quantity of ugu you want to cook and how many people are consuming it
Allow the oil to heat up not bleached but well enough to fry your onions and the blended paper
Add other seasoning to taste cubes salt,crayfish, locust bean fish meat and any others thing you have and allow everything to seamer to getter
After about five minutes you can now add you pumpkin leaf into the pot gradually and stir as you add to incorporate Everything well.
Your vegetable soup is ready to be and can go down well with anything edible
Served alongside rice
https://images.app.goo.gl/zzoAqsNkeUmjzsMk8
It can also be served with served with beans
https://images.app.goo.gl/GbuPtrxmY3yCKaFr7
It give a nice combination when served alongside yam hmmmmm the taste is the difference;the difference is the taste.
https://images.app.goo.gl/RoWDfHkjQDVchoice
One can also take the soup with any swallow of choice ( swallow is a terminology coined out for most African countries especially Nigerian to discribed their solid meals. Swallow are easily malleable just like dough commonly in the class of carbohydrates its often taken with soups through the swallowing method. it makes up most of African/ Nigerian meals they include but not restricted to Eba, Fufu, Amala Pounded yam Semovita, Wheat, Starch,Tuwo etc
For me ,I define total enjoyment as serving me a plate of fufu with correct Ugu vegetable soup. It takes one out out of this planet.
https://images.app.goo.gl/ondqFZcsKatpcWJ3A
It was interesting writing. I hope to do more. Takes for stopping by my blog. I will like to have your observations and correct this will really help me on the Blockchain generally.
I will like to invite @ayopeju to join this beautiful contest