Sea Purslane

A bit of a favorite of mine, Sea Purslane has a beautiful, natural salty flavor which, when picked young makes an excellent addition to salads and seafood dishes. Sea Purslane can be found on salt marshes throughout the year and Read more ›

Star Anise – A Complete Guide

One of the oldest spices known, anise is an annual plant found in Egypt and the Mediterranean and is widely used in the regions cooking. The yellow flowering heads produce the fruit, which is dried and known as aniseed. Aside Read more ›

Wild Watercress – A Complete Guide

Wild or cultivated, watercress is an underrated vegetable with much to offer. Unlike some plants and vegetables that have changed in taste and appearance through years of cultivation commercial watercress has managed to retain the appearance and eating quality of Read more ›

Vietnamese Mint – How to Cook and Grow

Also known as Vietnamese coriander, Cambodian mint and laksa Leaf this has to be my favorite Asian herb. Native to peninsular South-East Asia this is a perennial herb, which has striking pointed leaves, lime green in color with dark inner Read more ›

Coriander Seed – The Complete Guide

Of all the spices coriander has to be one of my absolute favorites, its distinctive warm, citrus aroma permeates soups, sauces and braises like no other. Coriander seed comes from the small coriander plant also known as cilantro or Chinese Read more ›

Sloe Berries – A Complete Guide

An ancestor of the cultivated plum, the sloe or blackthorn is best known for the excellent liqueur, sloe gin. A wonderfully vibrant pink coloured drink much favoured at Christmas when the berries will have infused sufficiently well with the gin Read more ›

Lemongrass – How to Cook and Grow

The lemongrass plant (also known as citronella) is a staple of many Southeast Asian soups and curries. It plays a leading role in the repertoire of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine in particular, imparting its heady citrus flavor into salads, soups Read more ›

Chard – How to Cook and Grow

From the same family as leaf beet and perpetual spinach it is mainly grown for its stem although I like to make full use of the coarse leaf as well. For me, it is a vital vegetable in so much Read more ›