As good looking as it is good for you, a squeaky-leaved spring green cabbage is a thing of beauty and vitality. Less boring than broccoli, it’s also great value.

From the cultivar Acephala Group, similar to kale, in which the central leaves do not form a head or form only a very loose one.

 It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most other domesticated forms, and is grown primarily in northern Europe, where its tolerance of cold winters is valued for an early spring supply of edible leaves.

Growing tips:

Cabbages grow best in well-drained, fertile soil that has had plenty of well rotted manure dug into it well in advance – ideally in the previous year. They won’t do well in shallow or sandy soil, so ensure you either improve yours radically or build raised beds. Ensure they’re in a sheltered spot, too.

To avoid disease, it’s best not to grow brassicas in the same soil more often than once every three years so plan ahead to put something else in your cabbage plot for the next two years to come.

In the growing season, it’s a good idea to give them a liquid feed to promote growth. You’ll need to keep the plants well watered then, too, and look out for weeds and pests, such as aphids, slugs and snails, and particularly to cabbage root fly and white fly caterpillars.

Tasty Tips!

Spring cabbage with mustard seeds

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp mustard seed

1 small onion, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp grated ginger

500g/1lb 2oz spring cabbage, shredded

Method: Heat the oil in a frying pan, then cook the mustard seeds until they are fragrant and starting to pop. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, then fry until golden. Tip in the cabbage and stir to coat in the spices, then cook for 5 mins until tender. Season and serve immediately.