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You may be surprised
to find nasturtium with vegetables, yet both its
leaves and flowers have been used as saladings
for centuries. Now that the cottage garden is
no longer the basic source of greenstuff for the
kitchen, the use of this flowering plant as a
vegetable has greatly declined. It is a pity –
the leaves have a peppery taste, rather like watercress,
and can add zest to flavourless butterhead lettuce.
There is, of course, no need to grow nasturtium
on the vegetable plot – raise them in the
flower bed as usual. Sow a climbing variety, such
as Tall Mixed, or a semi-trailer like Golden Gleam.
Nasturtium thrives best in a poor, sandy soil
– sow seeds in April, ½ in (1cm)
deep and 1ft (30cm) apart. Pick young and fresh
leaves for salads and sandwiches – make
sure that blackfly are removed before use. Flowers
can also be added to salads but they have less
flavour – seeds are used for pickling as
a substitute for capers. To make nasturtium salad,
mix nasturtium leaves with an equal quantity of
shredded lettuce in a garlic-rubbed bowl. Add
quartered hard boiled eggs, dress with a vinaigrette
dressing and garnish with nasturtium flowers.
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