GROW MICROGREENS: SMALL ON SIZE, BIG ON FLAVOUR

Microgreens are an excellent source of restaurant-worthy flavourings. Smaller than cut-and-come-again salads, these leaves can be harvested in a few weeks at the seedling stage, when their tiny leaves are full of flavour. For a steady supply, sow a few trays in rotation on the greenhouse bench or in a sheltered garden spot (out of slugs’ reach). You can shift trays to windowsills for the cooler months when growth is slower but just as tasty. Look out for speciality microgreen packets containing a larger number of seeds. Some of the tastiest ones include beetroot, basil, broccoli, radish, sunflower, rocket, chard and coriander.

How to grow them

1 Sow in seed compost. You can grow microgreens on sheets of moist kitchen towel or felt matting but a seed tray filled with seed compost is easier to keep moist. In addition, if you neglect to harvest them for a few days, they’ll happily keep growing on until you get round to them.

2 Tamp down the compost. Water lightly before sowing fairly thickly across the surface. Avoid sowing too thickly because you might encounter problems with disease, and too sparsely because you’re wasting space that could have produced additional delicious crops. 3 Mist the seeds. Check daily and water with a spray mister, covering with another tray to keep out light until the seedlings have germinated. Then, space out the trays to allow them plenty of light. Snip off at soil level with scissors once the plants’ first two ‘true’ leaves emerge.

For an unusual take on egg and cress, sow in an empty eggshell!