Watercress

This vegetable peps up the dullest spring salad and is brimming with cancer-fighting vitamins (it contains more vitamin C than an orange), not to mention antioxidants. Use raw stalks and leaves in salads, cook to make a mustardy soup or mix with basil and pine nuts for a delicious fresh pesto to serve with hot pasta.

Try: cheese and watercress scones. Sift 100g of flour and 1/2tsp slat together, and rub in 100g of butter. Stir in 2oz of grated hard cheese, such as Strathkinness, and add 3oz of chopped watercress. Mix with water to make a soft dough and roll out on a floured surface until 1 inch thick. Cut into 2-inch circles using a pastry cutter. Bake at 200C, Gas Mark 6, for about 15 minutes or until risen and browned. Serve warm with knobs of butter.