A Word In Your Ear - February 9, 2017

We can always eat cake. Besides, She Who Knows doesn’t like courgettes – also said to be scarce from panic buying.

Perhaps this was a north-south divide. “It’s just stuff nobody eats round here,” one well-fed chap opined at my local.

Probably in the refined shopping aisles of Buckinghamshire they’re prepared to pay any price to fill their cucumber sandwiches. Polite panic may have even reached Wilmslow in rarefied Cheshire, but not Blackpool or further north.

A Glaswegian acquaintance commented that lettuces wouldn’t deep fry. Yet a greens shortage seems ironic when we’re now building houses on Marton Moss, ideal for arable farming.

These days, I like the occasional salad livened up with mayo, some pickle and warmed new potatoes. Veg tastes best with a sauce.

Soggy cabbage, bullet sprouts and clumpy ‘cauli’ are a bad memory from school dinners of the 50s, like skinned boiled spuds. Leaks were rare and accompanied by gritty particles of soil, while dad’s lettuces off the allotment were limp - except for an odd caterpillar (though his radishes radiated zing!).

Then, about 40 years ago, we discovered sauces. It makes my mouth water just thinking of cauliflower au gratin, or leeks in cheese sauce. Then there is the move towards roasting or even frying.

Marrows are suddenly to be savoured when hot from the oven; par-boiled potatoes can be sliced and quick fried with onions, even cabbage is delicious finished off in a frying pan with juniper berries – try it!

Hopefully, I’ve now whet your appetite, but hurry - there may be growing queues for fewer greens down at your local store.

• For Roy’s books, visit www.royedmonds-blackpool.com, Amazon or stores.