While most flowers and vegetables have requirements that are specific to the plant, there are a few general tips that apply to most:

• Mix organic matter (up to 1/3 by volume) into the soil. This can be peat moss, well-rotted manure or compost. Up to 10 cm (4 in) spread over the surface of the soil should be dug in and mixed completely.
• At the same time, agricultural limestone should be mixed in at the rate of 5 kg per 10 sq m (10 lbs per 100 sq ft).

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To Serve 4 to 6

60 ml bacon fat
30 ml brown sugar
1 small onion, diced
1 L shredded red cabbage
2 tart apples, sliced
30 ml mild vinegar
2.5 ml caraway seed
salt and pepper to taste

Melt bacon fat and add sugar. Stir until brown. Add onion and cook until lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and cook slowly until tender, adding water or red wine as necessary.

Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa

To serve 4 to 6

1 1/2 pounds salt cod
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup olive oil
6 medium-sized potatoes, peeled
4 medium-sized onions, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices and separated into rings
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
18 to 20 pitted black olives
5 hard-cooked eggs, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Starting a day ahead, place the cod in a glass, enamel or stainless-steel bowl. Cover it with cold water and soak for at least 12 hours, changing the water three or four times.

Drop the potatoes into a pot with enough lightly salted boiling water to cover them completely. Boil briskly until they are tender but not falling apart. Drain, peel and cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside.

Drain the cod, rinse under cold running water, place it in a saucepan and add enough fresh water to cover the fish by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. (Taste the water. If it seems excessively salty, drain, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil again.) Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when prodded gently with a fork. Drain thoroughly. With a small knife, remove and discard any skin and bones and separate the fish into coarse flakes. Set aside.

In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat 1/2 cup of the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the onion rings. Stirring frequently, cook for 5 minutes, or until they are soft and transparent but not brown. Stir in the garlic and remove the skillet from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. With a pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of a casserole 8 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. To assemble, spread half the potatoes in the casserole, cover them with half the cod and then half the onions. Repeat the layers with the rest of the potatoes, cod and onions and pour the remaining 1/2 cup of oil over the top. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown.