🌱 Get Growing with Chef Lola 🪴
Every month, we’re going to be featuring a “Get Growing with Chef Lola” segment...read on to learn more!
Guess what? Lola here, joining you for my first One Potato segment - this is only the beginning, and I’m excited to be here cooking and gardening with you! We've got something super exciting for you and your kiddos – it's called "Get Growing with Chef Lola"! Whether you've got a huge backyard or just a tiny apartment balcony, this new feature from One Potato is all about bringing fun gardening and yummy meals to your home. If you want to learn more about me, check out my bio below (and continue reading the rest of this article in an English accent!).
What’s the Big Deal?
Every month, I’ll be dropping in with some tips on planting stuff that's in season. We're talking about starting your own veggie garden, growing herbs indoors, and other fun gardening projects. My grandson (13 years old and a killer skateboarder) has started working with me in my gardening and landscaping business, 86IT, and we love seeing the results with flowers and “crops” - from planting and growing to eating. When it comes to basil, it’s super straightforward and gratifying! Our kids absolutely love harvesting their own “crops” and tossing them into our One Potato recipes. I mean, who wouldn't love that, right?
Herb-ology 101: Starting with Basil
We’re super pumped to start germinating some homegrown herbs in spring 2025. But guess what? No need to wait till then - you can grow herbs all year round! Just grab some plants from a nursery or a home store and you're good to go. Let's kick things off with basil. You know, those yummy green leaves you throw on pizzas and in salads? Yeah, that.
Here's how to get started:
Pick out your basil plant: Head to the store with the kids and pick out a nice, healthy basil plant.
Decorate the Pots: Make it a fun craft session. Let the kids decorate the pots – they’ll love it!
Re-pot and Grow: Follow our easy steps to re-pot your basil and watch it grow.
Pro Tips: Picking the Perfect Basil Plant
Now, let’s talk about picking that basil plant. Did you know there are ~150 different types of basil? Crazy, right? You've got sweet basil, Thai basil, Genovese basil, and even purple basil. Each type has its own unique flavor, leaf shape, color, and size. Genovese a.k.a. Italian basil is your go-to for Italian dishes and that yummy Genovese-style pesto. Thai basil? It’s got a spicy, licorice vibe and is perfect for Southeast Asian recipes.
To kick off our basil-growing adventure, let's start with the most versatile: Genovese or Italian basil. It's a real winner, and will be the star of many One Potato dishes! When picking out your plant:
Healthy Leaves: Look for bright green leaves. No yellowing or drooping allowed!
Root Check: Gently check if the plant is root-bound. You don’t want roots all tangled up – they need space to grow. How do you check? This is hard in the store, but you can gently pull the whole stem upward taking care not to damage the plant, and slide the pot down slightly to see the top of the roots. If the plant doesn’t loosen from the pot at all, it’s likely root-bound - pass on that one!
Aphid Alert: Flip those leaves and make sure there are no tiny bugs hanging around.
Getting Artsy with Pots
Alright, I’ll be honest – as a chef and gardener, I'm no Picasso. But, you know what? One of the best gifts I've ever gotten was a spider plant from my grandkids. The coolest thing? They decorated the terracotta pot with chalk drawings and little messages. So sweet, right? Here are some ideas for an art activity with your pots:
Ceramic Painting Pots from Michael’s: Check out those Creatology pots – perfect for painting!
Plastic Pot Activity Sets: Also a great pick if you want to avoid any potential ceramic mishaps, grab one from Amazon.
Terracotta or White Ceramic Pots: Grab these from your local nursery and let the kids go wild with acrylic paints. You can find acrylic paint pots from Michaels or your local art supply store. Or, like my grandkids, you can use chalk for decorating these types of pots, changing up the artwork when you want!
Oh, and if you’d rather get straight to the planting instead of art-making, you can also start with an indoor herb garden planter set that comes with a handy tray for catching water.
Planting Your Basil
Got your basil? Sweet! Here’s what you do next:
Remove and Loosen: Take the basil out of its original pot and gently loosen the roots.
Separate and Pot: Put each stalk in its own pot with some well-draining soil.
Tamp It Down: Press the soil around the plants gently.
Pro tip: Make sure your pots have drainage holes. Nobody likes soggy roots.
Keeping Your Basil Happy
Sunlight: Basil LOVES sunlight. Place it somewhere sunny, or grab a grow light if needed.
Watering: Keep the soil slightly moist. Not too wet! Let the kids check the soil every day – if the top inch feels dry, it’s time to water.
Fertilizing: Add some organic fertilizer every 3-4 weeks. Indoors, use half the amount recommended on the package.
Pro Tip: We’re going to be eating these leaves, so using organic fertilizer is a requirement.
What’s Next?
Stay tuned, everyone! I’ll be back with tips on how to harvest your basil leaves. Can't wait to share more with you all!
Thanks for growing with us! 🌿 Chef Lola
Meet Chef & Gardener Lola
Meet Chef Lola, a culinary maestro with a journey as flavorful as her dishes. Born in London and raised in a quaint market town in the Midlands, Lola is the oldest of three sisters. Growing up with uninspiring meals, her passion for cooking was ignited after discovering a cookbook at a jumble sale. This newfound obsession led her to explore the vast world of culinary arts.
At 16, a trip to the USA introduced Lola to the wonders of pizza, pasta, and seafood, sparking a lifelong love for diverse cuisines. After a young marriage and subsequent divorce, Lola's focus shifted to working and traveling the globe. Her adventures took her to seven countries before she returned to the US, where she thrived in New York City's vibrant food scene. Here, she led events for charities, celebrities, and mainstream weddings, making a name for herself in the culinary community.
Lola's talent and charisma earned her two appearances on the celebrity cooking show Chopped in 2010, where she made such an impression that she was invited back for a second competition. Her restless spirit and drive for new challenges led her to Richmond, VA, where she excelled as an Operations Manager at an iconic BBQ chain. After five successful years, Lola decided it was time for a change and embarked on a journey to New Zealand. There, she fell in love with gardening and embraced it as a new passion.
Returning to the US, Lola settled in Maine to be close to her grandchildren. She began building a dedicated client base as a gardener and landscaper (including working for Kennebunkport's most famous family), and leading to the birth of her venture, 86 IT. Today, she combines her love for gardening, deep experience and expertise in cooking and catering, with joining the One Potato community and spending time with her daughter and grandkids.
Welcome, Lola! We can’t wait to “Get Growing” with you!