Sea Spinach / Sea Beet

Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima. So I am going to start with my absolute favourite and probably one of the most abundant wild veg. 

You cannot go anywhere near the South West Devon sea side without seeing this species, shiny, succulent leaves with a dark green colour. The best part is that you can use the greens exactly as you would regular spinach. I won't bore you with countless spinach recipes, aside from my own personal favourite;boiled with salt, drained and then simply fried in olive oil, garlic and chilli. In this form it is best served with some toasted sourdough bread, or Italian bread (if you can get your hands on it), a poached egg and Parmesan shavings. Sometimes the best ingredients are meant to be served in their natural form with little additives.  

Nutrients include: Vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium, Iron and Magnesium

The plant is foraged all year round, but particularly tender in the spring, much akin to 'baby spinach leaves' that you find in the supermarket, the younger leaves and shoots have more of a delicate flavour and are much more tender.

As with every plant you forage, check that you are 110% certain of its identity before you ingest it! Although with sea beet, it is pretty unmistakable and an easy one to begin with and there are tonnes of images on the internet to compare to, it even smells like spinach once the leaf or stem is crushed, however if you are unsure, don't eat it. Check with an expert first.