Non-motoring > Mystery Nosh Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Enoughalready Replies: 55

 Mystery Nosh - Enoughalready
My daughter came home with some sort of green leafage that she's grown in her school vegetable garden but she doesn't know what it is, neither do we.

It's quite bitter and slightly rubbery and thicker than spinach. Does anyone know what it is? Is it a salad leaf or something you cook?

Flummoxed.

tinyurl.com/nalkc33

tinyurl.com/pfyrxh7
 Mystery Nosh - Roger.
Watercress?
Looks fit for rabbit food!
 Mystery Nosh - Enoughalready
Not watercress I'm sure. For scale that plate is a dinner plate.
 Mystery Nosh - Paul Robinson
I'd guess a variety of Rocket - so a salad leaf!
 Mystery Nosh - Zero
surely its Spinage?
 Mystery Nosh - rtj70
>> Watercress?

Largest watercress in the world that then :-)

Looks like a variety of spinach to me too.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 28 Mar 14 at 12:31
 Mystery Nosh - Enoughalready
Quite rubbery though. Spinach is softer is it not?
 Mystery Nosh - neiltoo
Watercress
 Mystery Nosh - Armel Coussine
Herself after looking at the photo says it's 'not impossible that it's basil'.
 Mystery Nosh - neiltoo
Easy to tell basil by the scent.
Basil doesn't taste bitter though
 Mystery Nosh - J Bonington Jagworth
Deadly Night-nurse? :-)

Not Basil, though. Could be spinach, I think.
Last edited by: J Bonington Jagworth on Fri 28 Mar 14 at 14:33
 Mystery Nosh - neiltoo
uk.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AntVJc028LLP90wHnXudkW44hJp4?p=Watercress&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-952
 Mystery Nosh - Old Navy
I think it looks like a weed, Mrs UA says big watercress, I accept the CEOs decision. :-)
 Mystery Nosh - spamcan61
Well I've just seen some very similar looking stuff at the local Farm Shop and that was labelled "Cress" , t'was next to the Watercress.
 Mystery Nosh - rtj70
Looks a bit big for watercress to me. But if it was basil you'd recognise the taste/smell I'd have thought.
 Mystery Nosh - Slidingpillar
Basil is pretty easy to grow from seed, and reasonably quick growing as well. So it would be a good choice for kids.

I've grown it, but only when I got a free packet of seeds with something else!

Use it in a sauce to go with liver - very yummy.
 Mystery Nosh - Haywain
Another guess? Lamb's Lettuce?
 Mystery Nosh - neiltoo
uk.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AkpII2CeCgiB6bmbwLzx.LU4hJp4?fr=yfp-t-952-s&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&p=lambs%20lettuce
 Mystery Nosh - Enoughalready
It's not basil or lambs lettuce. We have basil growing in a pot on the window sill. The leaves are quite thick as if it's something you cook. I'll get her to ask her teacher on Monday.
 Mystery Nosh - helicopter
It's Watercress

tinyurl.com/kd7bpfy
Last edited by: helicopter on Sun 30 Mar 14 at 14:36
 Mystery Nosh - FocalPoint
No way is it watercress, which needs specialised conditions to grow - i.e. running water in purpose-made beds. Not what a school would do.

My money's on lamb's lettuce/corn salad - Valerianella locusta.
 Mystery Nosh - spamcan61
Still reckon it's Cress (not Watercress)
 Mystery Nosh - Dog
Erm, I'm the salad king, we have salad 3 times a week, and I have furry ears as you've seen.

On Sundays with our Haddock and Spinach fish cakes we have a bag of ASDA watercress, spinach and rocket.

Now they all look the blimmin same more-or-less but - if I had to pick one I'd say the OP's leaves are green spinach.
 Mystery Nosh - Cliff Pope
>> No way is it watercress, which needs specialised conditions to grow - i.e. running water
>> in purpose-made beds.

So it is said, but not in my experience.
20 years ago I threw a sprig of Tesco watercress into the pond. Now it self-seeds all over the garden in any damp spot. It grows in still water, in the stream, and out of water in damp soil.
It also grows on the compost heap.
In fertile conditions it has large leaves just like the illustration.

But I agree probably unlikely in a school demonstration. The taste should be the obvious decider. Watercress is unlike anything else, and very peppery. Basil tastes like, well, basil, and has a strong smell. Spinach tastes like school greens.
Lettuce doesn't taste of anything unless it has a healthy dollop of salad cream, which has to be Heinz.
 Mystery Nosh - madf
It's watercress.
I love watercress..
 Mystery Nosh - Dog
I loves it as well [watercress] I wouldn't marry it though.

I haves a whole bag of it between two slices of my wholemeal bread, loads of cyder vin & black pep Mmmm.
 Mystery Nosh - Zero

>> Lettuce doesn't taste of anything unless it has a healthy dollop of salad cream, which
>> has to be Heinz.

cobblerinos. Helmans mayo you east coast peasant.
 Mystery Nosh - MD
Salad Cream. Much less Fartening than Mayo don't ya know!!
 Mystery Nosh - FocalPoint
Mayonnaise or salad cream - both YUK!

Balsamic vinegar (di Modena), followed by extra virgin olive oil - the only way to go.
 Mystery Nosh - MD
>> Balsamic vinegar (di Modena), followed by extra virgin olive oil - the only way to
>> go.
>> Oooh! Get you....Virgin eh?
 Mystery Nosh - Haywain
">> Oooh! Get you....Virgin eh?"

Yeah - that's what I thought, but couldn't sum it up so well!

I'm with the salad cream lobby, although Mrs H - who has more middle-class pretensions, prefers mayo!
 Mystery Nosh - Runfer D'Hills
Cold ham off the bone, cold tomato, a fried egg, proper chips. Salad cream, English mustard and brown sauce ( kept decently apart of course ) and crusty brown bread with salted butter and a mug of tea.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 31 Mar 14 at 22:11
 Mystery Nosh - FocalPoint
Peasants.
 Mystery Nosh - Pat
I can settle this dispute.

Ian is from Kent, he eats mayo, I'm from the Fen and I eat salad cream, so it is just pretentious southerners who eat Mayo.

When he thinks I'm not looking he pinches my salad cream too!

Pat
 Mystery Nosh - MD
>> Peasants.
>>
Agree. If they're plucked properly of course.
 Mystery Nosh - Cliff Pope

>>
>> you east coast peasant.
>>

west
 Mystery Nosh - FocalPoint
Has Enoughalready now got the definitive answer - from the school presumably - as to what was grown?
 Mystery Nosh - Enoughalready
No! She had strict instructions to ask a particular teacher what it is but came home with the lame excuse that she didn't see that teacher. I've sent her off again with a "don't come back without..."

Being 11 and far too unconcerned to bother, I'm not holding my breath. If needs be I'll drive up to the school, slam a bunch down on the reception counter and demand what it is they are trying to kill us with.

BTW. Mayo here.
Last edited by: Enoughalready on Tue 1 Apr 14 at 12:46
 Mystery Nosh - Armel Coussine

>> Being 11 and far too unconcerned to bother, I'm not holding my breath.

May I say Enoughalready that you have a very mature prose style for one of your tender years?
 Mystery Nosh - Enoughalready
>>May I say Enoughalready that you have a very mature prose style for one of your tender years?

Must be the cigarettes. Now leave me alone, I have homework to do.
 Mystery Nosh - Pat
>>Must be the cigarettes. <<

Wow, you'll do for me:)

We need more on here!

Pat
 Mystery Nosh - Enoughalready
We finally have an answer. Never heard of it before, it's some sort of edible weed that's good for you so some of you were close.
It's ....







Purslane!
Last edited by: Enoughalready on Thu 3 Apr 14 at 17:50
 Mystery Nosh - Roger.
My know-it-all wife has heard of it. Mind you she is a qualified Home Economist!
 Mystery Nosh - Armel Coussine
Herself has heard of it too, but only just. She's more of a botanist though.

I know someone in Somerset who probably has a bed of it, and a special recipe or two. Her marrowflower fritters are fabulous...
 Mystery Nosh - No FM2R
AC, or anyone else for that matter....

Try these. Pumpkin will do as the squash.

allrecipes.com/recipe/chilean-style-sopaipillas/

And then make some of this to dip them in....

southamericanfood.about.com/od/saladssidedishes/r/Pebre-Chilean-Chile-Pepper-Salsa.htm

Best TV / Beer / relaxing foodstuff ever.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Fri 4 Apr 14 at 01:33
 Mystery Nosh - Armel Coussine
I hope I will try that because it looks very appealing FMR.

Thanks.
 Mystery Nosh - Alanovich

>> Best TV / Beer / relaxing foodstuff ever.
>>

Kebab for me tonight, FM.

Let's just hear that once more. Kebab.
 Mystery Nosh - Mapmaker
Think I've even grown purslane...

Lived next door to a Cypriot family for several years. She barely spoke a word of English, but would push plates of food through the hedge towards me. Courgette flowers were my favourite.
 Mystery Nosh - No FM2R
Alanovic,

You are a git.

Best Regards,

NoFM2R.
 Mystery Nosh - Alanovich
Just for you, NF.

goo.gl/maps/ryUSf
 Mystery Nosh - Roger.
Kebab = Death-on-a-stick.
 Mystery Nosh - FocalPoint
"Kebab = Death-on-a-stick."

Depends.

Doner -agreed; I won't touch that stuff with the proverbial barge-pole.

Shish - the opposite; excellent on barbecues or whatever.
 Mystery Nosh - Alanovich
Filthy doners is where it's at. Any fool can grill up a bit of shish.

Of course, everything in moderation and there's nothing to worry about.
 Mystery Nosh - No FM2R
My next day of meals in England....

Greasy Spoon, Full English Breakfast, Tea & Toast.

Pub, *huge* Ploughman's with several pints of 6X

Home, afternoon tea

Chippie, Fish & Chips with sausage in batter.

Pub, more 6X

Kebab.

 Mystery Nosh - No FM2R
Can't compete with that.

No, wait.....

blog.itravelchile.com/blog/top-10-chiles-best-beaches/
 Mystery Nosh - Alanovich
Nah. Too much sunburn for my balding ginger nut to cope with. I'll stick to the Costa del Caversham.
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