Healthy foods to support the immune system.

It is very important that fruits and vegetables are organically grown and as fresh as you can possibly get them.  I grow almost all of the vegetables that I eat, I swap produce with my neighbours and friends who live close by and choose to grow organic produce.

If you are unable to grow your own vegetables, try to get locally grown produce.  My first choice to source vegetables is my own garden, second choice is sourcing them from Bruny Island after that I look to organic produce from small producers close to the Island. Then I look to the rest of Tasmania and if necessary mainland Australia.  If the source of a product is outside of Australia then I do not purchase it.

Foods loaded with antioxidants and rich in vitamins and minerals should be consumed, the greater the variety the better.  Green Tea is rich in antioxidants and helps digestion, a great choice of tea any time of the year.

Australian Black-Back Salmon is full of good Omega oils 100 grams of raw fish contains 61 mg of Omega-3, EPA, 262 mg Omega-3, DHA and 11 mg Omega-6, AA   Place the salmon in a heavy based oven dish that has been lightly oiled. Stuff the Salmon with lemon verbena leaves, slices of fresh ginger and chives. Top the fish with lemon verbena, chives, a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.  Cover with baking paper, then the lid of the baking dish.  Place in a moderate oven and bake for 25 mins.  Take care not to over cook, the flesh should still be moist after cooking.

Chives and lemon verbena can be picked before the first frost and frozen whole in small amounts.  I like to vacuum seal my herbs fresh before freezing, they can also be placed in freezer bags, make sure you gently squeeze all the air from the freezer bag before sealing.

67 grams Kale contains 206% of the daily average intake of Vitamin A , 134% of recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.  Kale is is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fibre, Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

The kitchen garden is limited at this time of the year. It currently offers potatoes, carrots, a variety of kale, spinach and silver beet, a few green tops of spring onions, chives, New Zealand yams and a few hardy salad greens and herbs.  The hot house still has lemon grass, ginger, a few chillies and the last of the the green beans and zucchinis.

The above steamed vegetables were sliced using a mandolin, then steamed and topped with a vitamin packed dressing of lime juice, toasted sesame seeds, olive oil, finely chopped parsley, a pinch of sumac, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

50 grams of fresh Green Beans contain 6% of the recommended daily intake of fibre, 7% Vitamin A, 10% Vitamin C, 2% Iron and 3% Calcium
100 grams of fresh Carrot contains 2.8 grams of fibre, 104% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A, 77% beta-carotene, 6% Vitamin B1, 5% Vitamin B2, 7% vitamin B3, 11% Vitamin B6, 5% Vitamin B9, 7% Vitamin C, 4% Vitamin E, 3% Calcium, 2% Iron, 3% Magnesium, 7% Manganese, 5% Phosphorus, 7% Potassium,  5% sodium, 3% Zinc.
100 grams Zucchini contains 3% of the daily recommended intake of fibre, 6% Vitamin B2, 3% Vitamin B3, 5% Vitamin B5, 13% Vitamin B6, 7% Vitamin B2, 4% Vitamin B1, 7% Vitamin A, 30% Vitamin C, 0.1% Vitamin E, 4% Vitamin K. Zucchini also contains Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorous, Selenium and Zinc.

It is only 2 days till the shortest day of the year and dusk is already settling in by 3.00 pm.  The pear trees have lost their leaves and the yearly pruning has begun.
Compost production is under way, green manure crops are sprouting and the garden is being prepared ready for planting out after the last frost.