Kale

Snap off the outer leaves and the plant just makes more from the centre - one plant can feed you for months. Young leaves are tender enough to eat raw; older ones want heat, oil, or a good massage with salt and lemon to soften up.

Give it the coolest, brightest spot you have - morning sun and afternoon shade, or under a light shade cloth. Heat is what turns kale bitter and tough, so pick young and pick often. A breezy corridor or east-facing balcony beats a full-day west-facing one.

Water when the top 1cm of soil is dry, never dried out. Feed it with crushed spent egg shells, seaweed powder, leftover yogurt and rice water whenever you have them. Fertilise with organic fertiliser every 2 to 3 weeks, its hungry! Harvest from the bottom up and leave the growing tip alone.