The Unbuyables

The definition of fraud in this country used to run along the lines of 'gaining pecuniary advantage by deception'. Now it apparently reads 'those who are not rich and powerful gaining pecuniary advantage by deception.' So 'unbuyables' does not refer to British justice.

No, the unbuyables is Sarah Raven's term for the stuff we food gardeners grow that you just don't find in the shops. To which for us now add asparagus chicory, or Catalogna/Catalonia. I read about it in Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book, and fancied trying some as I'd seen it or similar in Mediterranean food shops. I don't for a minute expect asparagus flavour, but those leafy Greek dishes dressed with oil, lemon and garlic enjoyed in some island taverna should be repeatable here. Seeds have now been obtained from Seeds of Italy, and it is hoped the results will be on our plates within a couple of months or so.

There are lots of other things we grow or have grown that you're very unlikely to see outside of Fortnum and Mason's: like asparagus peas (note the recurring use of the enticing word asparagus to propagandize the unusual), which are not really worth the effort; or Par-cel which is - leaf celery, perfect for the stockpot and casseroles. Or Celtuce, a bit like lettuce on a long thick stalk, that stalk the point of the thing, used in Chinese cookery for its crunch; or the incredibly easy to grow hot mustards like Komatsuna, which has the added benefit of self seeding for next year, an easy salad when leaves are young and small, a hot leaf for cooking when older. Too many clauses Martin.

With a bit of imagination and a patch of land then austerity cookery does not need to be restricted to beans and rice. I say again, what a pity we used £13 billion for the big school sports day instead of improving the lives of millions of our citizens with a little piece of land on which to grow stuff. Except this generation of politicians clearly prefers circuses to bread, unless as slang for money. See opening comment on attitudes to fraud.