If you grow sweet potatoes, you’ve been composting a free vegetable. Matembele — sweet potato leaves — are a staple green across East and Central Africa. Here’s a quick way to cook them.
Tag Archives: food
Kahurura (Pumpkin Leaves): The Kenyan Green Growing Right Alongside Your Squash
Kahurura — pumpkin leaves — are a Kenyan kitchen staple, and if you grow any kind of squash or pumpkin, you may already have them without realizing it.
How to Grow Okra in North Carolina’s Summer Heat
Okra thrives in exactly the kind of heat that wilts other summer crops. Here’s how we grow it at Farmsustaina — planting, spacing, and keeping up with harvest.
How to Cook Managu (African Nightshade): A Traditional Kenyan Recipe
How to cook managu (African nightshade) the traditional Kikuyu way — blanched to tame the bitterness, then simmered with onion, tomato, and milk. Serve with ugali or rice.
Saget (African Spider Plant): A Complete Growing Guide for Home Gardeners
A growing guide to saget (African spider plant, Cleome gynandra) — a drought-tolerant, nutrient-dense East African leafy green that does well in Cary, NC’s Zone 8a heat.
Traditional Kenyan Mrenda Recipe — Jute Mallow with Tomatoes, Onions & Cream
One of East Africa’s most cherished indigenous vegetables — silky, earthy, nourishing, and ready in about 20 minutes. Mrenda (Corchorus olitorius) is one of East Africa’s most treasured leafy greens — prized for its rich nutritional value and the distinctive silky texture it develops when cooked. This is the kind of dish that has beenContinue reading “Traditional Kenyan Mrenda Recipe — Jute Mallow with Tomatoes, Onions & Cream”
How to Grow Organic Mrenda (Jute Mallow): A Complete Guide for Home Gardeners and Small-Scale Farmers
Mrenda (Corchorus olitorius), also known as jute mallow, is one of Africa’s most nutritious indigenous vegetables. Valued for its tender leaves and naturally silky texture when cooked, mrenda has been a staple in many African households for generations. Today it is making a strong comeback as more people seek healthy, locally grown foods packed withContinue reading “How to Grow Organic Mrenda (Jute Mallow): A Complete Guide for Home Gardeners and Small-Scale Farmers”
Why Local Food Tastes Better Than Grocery Store Food
There is a common and entirely understandable assumption that food is food — that a tomato from a supermarket and a tomato picked from a vine that morning are essentially the same thing with minor variations in appearance. This is not true. The differences are measurable, significant, and directly related to how and where theContinue reading “Why Local Food Tastes Better Than Grocery Store Food”
Organic Aphid Control That Actually Works
Aphids are the pest most gardeners encounter first and most often. They colonise quickly, reproduce fast, and if left unchecked can weaken or kill plants. But the conventional response — reaching immediately for a spray — often creates the conditions for worse aphid problems by eliminating the insects that would have controlled them naturally. HereContinue reading “Organic Aphid Control That Actually Works”
How We Grow Organic Vegetables During a North Carolina Drought
North Carolina summers are genuinely challenging for vegetable gardens. Extended periods without rain, combined with temperatures above 90°F and high humidity that does nothing for soil moisture, can put even established beds under serious stress. At Farmsustaina we have developed a set of practices over several seasons that allow us to maintain productive beds throughContinue reading “How We Grow Organic Vegetables During a North Carolina Drought”