In article , shazzbat
writes

We like the cabbage family OK incidentally, but neither of us are fond of
any kind of spinach. We got seeds of swiss chard on one of the magazines the
other week, and we're growing it for the attractive coloured foliage rather
than to eat.

Big advantage of that stuff is its ability to keep on going through the
winter and that dead bit of the year when you're still waiting for the
first broad beans. I used to tear the leaves from the stalks, cut the
stalks in pieces, put them in a pan with the smallest bit of water
possible, then put the leaves on top to be steamed. I liked it like
that, but it is still spinachy, though not with the tooth-roughening
character of real spinach.

I picked my first french bean this week. A seedling I had on the toilet
windowsill, waiting to be planted into a decent sized pot in the
greenhouse away from the slugs. It has decided to flower and fruit in a
two inch pot. Stupid thing ;-)
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"