Green peppercorns, the fruit of a perennial vine with large leaves and white flowers. Green peppercorns are the unripe fruits picked early and pickled. Black peppercorns are picked just before they ripen and white peppercorns are the ripe, black peppercorns with the black skin flaked off. They are best kept whole and ground when required. Historically, pepper was one of the world's most important spices. Columbus sailed West, not East, in search of pepper in the East Indies. Instead he found the Americas and allspice.
Perilla. Japanese basil. A commonly used herb in Japanese cuisine and has a distinctive flavour, vaguely reminiscent of rue. It is rich in carotene, vitamin C and iron. There is a red-leaved variety and a green-leaved variety. Select leaves that are fragrant and have a fresh green colour. Perilla is used chopped as a seasoning in chilled tofu, as a garnish with salads and sashimi, and in deep-fried dishes.
Lapwing. A variety of plover which congregates on ploughed fields in winter. They have green wings and a proud crest. We call them flapwings because of their odd, random flight. If they are eaten, they are usually gutted and roasted and served on buttered toast and garnished with lemon and watercress.
Summer purslane. Unlike winter purslane, which is hardy, summer purslane is half hardy. It is a low growing plant which produces slightly succulent leaves that are used in salads. The green-leaved variety has better flavour while the yellow-leaved variety is more decorative.
Greencracked brittlegill. A variety of wild mushroom which, as its name implies, is a sort of olive green with darker green markings and with creamy brittle gills. Most brittlegills resemble other ones that are inedible and some will cause gastric problems. You can normally detect what type it is by the flavour. A tiny tasting will immediately reveal whether or not it is edible, but it is worth spitting it out immediately if you detect a bitter taste.
The green russula mushroom is a type of edible mushroom that grows under birch trees and is found from summer to early autumn. (If gathering mushrooms you must be absolutely certain what you have before you eat them as many are very poisonous.)
A green salad is a salad made up with green salad leaves such as lettuce, mesclun, rocket, watercress, baby spinach leaves.
Haddock salted and left overnight. It is then rinsed and poached. Best served with a sweet vegetable such as carrots and with potatoes, onions, boiled eggs and butter.
A variety of tomato shaped, yes, like a sausage and, yes, green in colour.
