Bower Spinach
(Tetragonia implexicoma) commonly known as bower spinach, is a species of plant in the Aizoaceae, or ice-plant family .
The broad green leaves have a lovely delicate salty flavour of the sea and a crisp texture.
If you are lucky enough to find some fruiting you are in for a treat!!
The juicy red berries have a deliciously sweet and salty flavour!
We love just munching these straight off the plant after a swim at the beach.
Samphire
This native succulent also referred to as sea asparagus, swamp grass, salicorne, glasswort, pickleweed and sea beans.
It tastes salty, in a good way; like your lips and your skin taste after a swim in the ocean. Its texture is tender, crisp, and crunchy.
Eaten raw, Samphire is delicious in a green salad, or as an accompaniment to sushi or seafood.
However, if you want less of a salt burst, you might prefer adding it to a stir-fry or soaking it in fresh water for an hour prior to use.
Boasting almost no fat, these vegetable are rich in essential vitamins and minerals (such as vitamins A, B, C, magnesium, potassium & calcium) and are often described as the next Superfood!
Both vegetables are great eaten raw in a salad or cooked into a meal or side dish but our favorite and easiest way to cook these greens is to simply:
- sautée in garlic butter for a couple minutes
- add some dried pepper leaves and a squeeze of lemon
- Serve next to some grilled fish or abalone!