Good enough to eat

●●Kale Keen vegetable growers should now be harvesting kale, a winter stalwart brassica which is a gardener’s delight, being that’s it’s hugely hardy and will tolerate poor soil, pigeons, cabbage root fly and club root.

However, it’s not popular because of its reputation for being bitter, particularly when overcooked. So, choose a variety known for its good flavour, such as Red Russian, and follow a few rules: only pick young shoots which have just been subjected to frost and cook them quickly in a small amount of water.

Serve with melted butter or chop up the leaves and serve them in winter salads.

Sow seeds thinly in May in shallow drills in a sunny spot and when they emerge, thin the seedlings to around 8cm apart in the rows. When they are 10-15cm high they can be transplanted to their final spot, making sure you water the rows the day before.

The plants should end up around 45cm apart. Hoe regularly and tread firmly around young plants to firm them in and stop them being damaged by wind rock.

To harvest curly kale, cut young leaves from the crown of the plant using a sharp knife, which should stimulate the development of succulent side shoots.

Good varieties include Redbor and Scarlet.