Alexanders are an ancient food source, cultivated for many centuries. This biennial wild flower, with dark green, shiny leaves and umbels of yellow-green flowers can be grown as an ornamental or can be put to use as a culinary herb or spice, the flavour is said to be similar to myrrh.
Large and tasty heads of green buds have made Green Globe one of the most popular varieties of Artichoke. They are perennial plants and will produce more heads with each successive year. This old heirloom variety is a great delicacy, steam or boil and serve with melted lemon butter or hollandaise sauce.
Earlier and hardier than most varieties, Asparagus ‘Precoce D’Argentuil’ is an excellent choice for the impatient gardener. Highly esteemed for its thick, rose-purple spears with tender tips and an excellent flavour. In France it is the traditional variety used to create the popular white asparagus.
Famous for the forced, blanched heads or ‘chichons’ that are loved by gourmets Chicory ‘Brussels Witloof’ is the traditional finely-textured variety used for forcing. With a delicious, tangy, unique flavour, it is very easy to grow and produces one of the finest tasting winter vegetables.
The classic tall Italian radicchio. Upright with red and white striped leaves with large pure white stems. Highly prized, this flavoursome early variety is grown in the Treviso area in winter and is eaten, root and all, simply pan fried or grilled. It has high resistance to cold.
For centuries, Samphire was food for the poor, free to ordinary people living by the sea. It is ironic that today it is regarded as a specialty food, often served with an accompanying price tag.
Good King Henry was once a common sight in every garden. He may have lost his court and become something of a rarity today, but this unique herb has much to offer to the home or cottage gardener. Organic Seed.
With deeply cut, slate green oak-like leaves ‘Red Russian’ is one of the tenderest and sweetest kales available. Sow under cover in autumn for baby leaves after four to six weeks, or directly outdoors for over-wintering. This hardy crop can provide nutritious leaves even in the depths of winter.
Until recently Cavolo Nero, or ‘Tuscan Kale’, was one of Italy’s best kept secrets. Simply adored, especially in the north of Italy, it has been an essential fare of traditional dishes for centuries. Cavolo Nero can now be found in garden markets, specialist greengrocers and trendy restaurants throughout Europe.
‘Azure Star’ is a highly regarded purple kohlrabi from Europe, considered to be one of the finest. It is the earliest blue-leaved, purple Kohlrabi and is also the most delicious. Raw or cooked, it is superb eating, Azure Star sets a new standard for excellence. Organic Seed.‘Delicacy Purple’ is much improved over the previous Vienna varieties, producing a crop that is slightly more tender and with more flavour, it has good standing ability, is low growing and matures quickly, progressing from sowing to harvesting in a couple of months.
‘Delicacy White’ is much improved over the previous Vienna varieties, producing pale green globe shaped roots with a crisp white flesh.Sow from late February to the end of August for a continuous supply. “Delicacy White” is an ideal companion to “Delicacy Purple” as it matures a little earlier.
Lemon grass is widely used as a herb in Asian and Caribbean cooking. It has a citrus flavour and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. It is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries and is also suitable for poultry, fish, and seafood.
Summer Purslane was highly esteemed and cultivated in Europe as far back as the Middle Ages, but is now cultivated only for specialised connoisseurs.This wonderfully succulent and cooling herb has tangy leaves make a very nice contrast, in texture as well as taste to other salad leaves.
This highly esteemed ancient crop can be used raw in salads, sautéed as a side dish or cooked like spinach. Summer Purslane has a crispy texture you would expect from a succulent and an interesting nutty, peppery flavour. It is salty on the tongue.
This incredibly succulent, melt-in-your-mouth raw salad green has recently gained popularity in the gourmet greens world, attracting both world class growers and chefs. Best used fresh and tiny, these elegant leaves bring a rich, tart-creaminess to delicate, micro-green salads.
Salsify may be a chic new vegetable with the foodie crowd but it just happens to be an old-fashioned heritage root crop. This unprepossessing Mediterranean winter vegetable has a delicate taste, ever so slightly sweet, some say slightly reminiscent of oysters, so much so that it is also known as the ‘oyster plant’.
‘Strawberry Sticks’ is a curious plant that is enjoying something of a resurgence. The berries make a colourful and edible accent in the garden and salads and the greens are deliciously edible.
‘Strawberry Sticks’ is a curious plant that is enjoying something of a resurgence. The berries make a colourful and edible accent in the garden and salads and the greens are deliciously edible. Organic Seeds.
Artichoke ‘Violet de Provence’ is one of the most traditional of Italian vegetables. This delicious medium sized artichoke develops rich violet-purple headed globes. Few dishes are as satisfying to eat as the globe artichoke. Dip the leaves into warm balsamic-bacon dressing and fall in love with a little thistle!
One of the most beautiful vegetables and a true Objet d’Art. Each complex, symmetrical head features whorls of chartreuse green florets, in a complex, bewitching design, an amazing example of phyllotaxis – the fractal patterning that appears in nature.
Chicory Variegata di Castelfranco has a beautiful form with wavy leaves that are flecked with purple. Incredibly hardy and totally invaluable, this traditional variety is one of the easiest to grow at any time in the year.
Crambe maritima is a lovely dual purpose plant. This delicacy from the olden days has a unique delicate flavour, forced Seakale is a real delicacy. In the garden, it can be grown as an eye-catching and fragrant border plant. It has perhaps the most beautiful of all large glaucous leaves
If you’re an adventurous gardener, cook, or gastronome, then you’ll want to grow cardoons. Besides being a dramatic statement in your flower border. it will bring to you a flavour that is truly unique in the vegetable world. Organic Seeds. RHS AGM. Organic Seed. Florence Fennel ‘Selma’ is a fine-looking cultivar bred for strong, uniform bulbs and bolt resistance. One of the better picks for tricky weather or late sowings. Best sown after midsummer, once the days start shortening, Fennel prefers to bulk up as things cool down.
One of the tenderest kales available, with a sweeter taste than most traditional varieties, ‘Red Russian’ is delicious raw in salads and excellent used in stir-frying. It will grow to baby leaf in only 25 days, just add to lettuce to make your own mesclun mix. Organic Seeds. ‘Black Magic’ is an improved Italian Black Kale, more cold tolerant, vigorous and slower-to-bolt than other Italian kales. They form an easy-to-harvest rosette of very dark, savoyed leaves with a flavour that is rich and mild.
Simply adored, especially in the north of Italy, Cavolo Nero is an extremely cold hardy kale that will tolerate conditions that would make most brassicas keel over. Thank heavens we have finally managed to locate Organic Seeds!
This highly esteemed ancient crop can be used raw in salads, sautéed as a side dish or cooked like spinach. Summer Purslane has a crispy texture you would expect from a succulent and an interesting nutty, peppery flavour. It is salty on the tongue.
Okahijiki is considered to be one of Japan’s oldest vegetables. A gourmet specialty, it is found in the wild growing in salt laden coastal marshes. A first tentative taste of a sprig reveals a surprising texture, the tubular leaves and branched stems are juicy with a crisp texture and salty flavour.
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