Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi Everyone
I have just got my allotment and I have been told that the root vegetable that is growing all over the allotment is called Alexandra can anyone please tell me how to cook it and what part can be eaten



little-weed

Hi Littleweed,

Welcome to the vine, you will get lots of help and advice here and a few laughs.

I don't know what Alexandrea is can you describe it please?

I am sure a wise grape will be along soon to help.

Congratulations on your new plot, please let us all know how you get on.

Mandy

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No mater when time you set out, you always get there at the same time

Hi little-weed, welcome to the vine!

I've never heard of alexandra as a vegetable either (not that THAT means much! ), but no doubt between us all we'll track it down!

Where in the country are you? And do tell us more about your plot!

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sun 30/11/2008......Indoor Allotmenteering too!.....

[quote=little-weed;144905]Hi Everyone
I have just got my allotment and I have been told that the root vegetable that is growing all over the allotment is called Alexandra can anyone please tell me how to cook it and what part can be eaten

Well it has got me beat i have been on google and no joy so unless it is a local name for some thing i have not heard i have got a suspicion it could well be a local name for dock's or some other nasty hope not but other than that you may be the only one in the country with it a photo might help if posible other than that you have won a coconut of the top shelf jacob

If it's a celery-looking effort it could be alexanders. Nice shiny leaf and a white flower head at the right time of year. This I think was a Roman introduction. It was used until a couple of hundred years ago and eaten from the root, stem, right to the flowers which were pickled. It's been superceded by celery which it's supposed to taste like, but it's a lot stronger, and the stem is usually used. Be very careful though, it looks superficially like hemlock - poisonous!

However, if it's not alexanders, I can't help you. Welcome to the grapevine by the way. Enjoy the new lottie!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Congrats on getting your lottie Little-weed, and welcome to the 'Vine
I did a quick search, and came up with a bit of info about Alexanders. The first link is a description of it, and the second one, if you scroll down the page a bit, has some pictures which might help with identification?
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....nium+olusatrum
http://gallery.e2bn.org/index.php?st=stem

__________________
Sarah

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Hi Everyone
Thank you for the warm welcome and the reply it's helped a great deal.I have my lottie on the isle of Thanet Kent. Flmmery yes it's Alexanders thank you, Sarzwix the phots did the trick. I was told it was ground elder so have been diging like mad to get the root out ( it did wounders for my figer lol ) so this mornning its off to the lottie with a spring in my step knowing that I can use this welcome Roman inport.


little-weed

Hello and welcome to the vine little weed. Nice to read you found out what your plant was. Look forward to hearing what it tastes like now.

Well done on getting a lottie too.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Hello little weed ---and welcome to the Vine!!!

You do realise that we'll be asking for some seeds now??????

You might not Nicos - where it grow, it grows like a weed! I last saw it a couple of weeks ago on the castle mound at Scarborough when visiting Flummery Minor who lives there. (Scarborough, not the castle! - King Flum of Scarborough? - nice ring to it.) It's EVERYWHERE! It particularly likes coastal areas but if it likes you it's invasive. Unlike many such plants, at least you can eat it to death!

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Does it look a bit like hogweed???

Considerably smaller - but superficially similar. Leaves not so coarse - much more shiny. Check Sarzwix's pics.

__________________
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Ok- yes , see what you mean!
Not aware of it before...the stuff you learn on here

I could swap some for some of my chick weed!!!!

Chickweed and Alexander soup served with crispy fried nettle leaves.
...Think I'd better go and have my breakfast!!!!!

Hi
Will let you know what it taste like and do some seed saving, will post asap I will also try to keep it under control(lol )would be a shame to get rid of it altogether after all the hard work everyone has put in trying to find out what it was for me,once again thank you


little-weed

Are you in training for 'I'm a Celebrity'?

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Hi
Just got back from the lottie with a few roots of Alexandras, took the leaves off the top washed and peeled the root grated it not very nice as it is bitter, but you could add to a salad,sliced some root and put in boiling salted water for about 25 mins mashed with butter salt and pepper quite a nice flavor a little like celery I would eat it again. The leaves I took off the main stem and steamed them for about 15 mins choped them up fine added butter, salt and pepper,the taste is like asparagus but a little bitter I will be having this again at the week-end


little-weed

Sounds good Littleweed,

It would probably grow well for me too, might look at this for next year.

Mandy

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No mater when time you set out, you always get there at the same time