Malabar, Red

This Malabar has lovely heart shaped thick glossy leaves with red leaf veins and deep red, almost purple stems. These leaves, stems and tips are all edible - it will give you a mild spinach like flavour with hints of lemon.

SOW & GROW: surface sow & just cover, in spring and early summer.  The seeds have a hard coating and can benefit from soaking overnight or scratching before planting. Plant in the greenhouse or conservatory (it is a tropical plant and likes warmth through glass). It is happy to trail from hanging baskets or window boxes or climb a trellis. 

EAT & ENJOY:

• Harvest the heart shaped leaves as you need them-  leaving 2-3 leaves on the branches to resprout allows this to continue to grow happily throughout the season.
• The fleshy stems and tips are also edible. There is a lot of good eating on this mild spinach flavoured productive plant; indeed it is an excellent alternative to spinach during the summer months. 
• Young leaves add a hint of citrus to salads. 
• You can steam or stir-fry the leaves or add to soup and stews to thicken them.