Italian cress! Do you think I had a problem finding something beginning with I?  Yes I did. Mummy got all her gardening and wild flower books out as well just to see what she could find.  Ipomea batatas was another.  That’s Latin for Sweet Potato.  Actually I don’t like that much.  Italian cress is ok when it’s not too strong.  Watercress is ok when it’s not too strong too.  That’s a clue.  Have you got it yet?  Rocket!  or Arugula if you are American or Italian.  Why would Italians call something Italian Cress?  They don’t, they call it arugula!

I’m going round in circles here.  I apologise.  It’s because I haven’t got much to say about rocket.  It’s nice when the leaves are young.  It’s got quite a strong taste, in the way dandelions have but it’s sharper than dandelions.  The leaves look a bit like dandelions, but more rounded in the serrated bits.  Mostly.

Mummy grows rocket very easily, and we had some about a month ago as she’d been growing some salad leaves including rocket in a trough outside under the patio roof during the winter.  They were very nice.  It was a change to have some fresh leaves from the garden.  Very flavoursome and not too strong.  The ones she gives us in autumn are generally a bit too strong.  I expect they’ve been growing in hotter weather so they have more intense flavour.

There!  I’ve said more about Italian cress than I thought I would.