In season late spring: Rocket

This salad green has small, flat leaves with long stems and a distinctive peppery taste.

Buying

Choose fresh-looking, crisp leaves which have no signs of wilting or browning.

Store

Store in a plastic bag in the crisper in the refrigerator, but make sure rocket is stored away from fruits which produce ethylene gases (like apples) to avoid premature spoilage.

Nutrition

The darker leaves of rocket indicate greater nutritional value than lighter-coloured salad leaves. This member of the Brassica family contains folate, beta-carotene and vitamin C, and it has useful amounts of antioxidant phytochemicals.

Using rocket

Try a rocket pesto: process garlic, some pinenuts, a couple of handfuls of roughly chopped rocket, and slowly add olive oil to the mix to get the consistency you’re after. Stir in some grated parmesan cheese and season.