EDIBLE GARDEN: Early Veg
They may not be as glamorous as tulips, but spring greens are tasty and nutritious. Spring cabbage and broccoli are grown over winter to be har vested in April, a time when the veg garden is being planted out for the new season and there’s less to eat. Purple sprouting broccoli looks attractive and contains vitamins and iron. Picked just before cooking, it adds welcome freshness at this time of year. After steaming, simply add butter, lemon juice and roasted hazelnuts, or make broccoli into a warming soup. I particularly enjoy spring greens called ‘Winter Jewel’, a disease-resistant variety that is easy to grow and when left to mature produces a head like a sweetheart cabbage that is crisp and delicious.