Finally the asparagus season has begun!

Asparagus is considered by many to be the queen of vegetables and one of nature's superfoods! It is a member of the lily family and a distant cousin of the leek and onion. Asparagus is a highly prized vegetable which, unfortunately, has a relatively short season of just 10 weeks.

It gets its name from the ancient Greek ‘aspharagos’ which originates from the Persian word ‘asparag’ meaning sprout, stalk or shoot. Asparagus was popular in ancient Greece for its medicinal and gastronomic qualities, as well as for its aphrodisiac powers! Hippocrates used it for medicinal purposes such as the treatment of  diarrhoea and urinary problems.

Asparagus is full of vitamins A, B and C, great source of iron, and full of fibre and folic acid. It’s great for the heart, boosts your immune system and is believed to help detoxify the body.

Steamed or lightly boiled asparagus served with one of our early harvest olive oils, makes a mouthwatering, health boosting salad or side dish! Lets enjoy the asparagus season while it lasts...

For more information about asparagus http://www.british-asparagus.co.uk/

Ancient Greeks, especially the Athenians, worshipped an ancient olive tree on the Acropolis, which they believed was planted by the goddess Athena. When Aristotle wrote the Constitution of the Athenians, he prescribed the death penalty for anyone who uprooted or felled an olive tree.

This is the sacred olive tree on the Acropolis of Athens. Pausanias wrote that the day after the Persians burned the Acropolis in 480 BC. this tree sprouted a new branch four feet long.

Beetroot was cultivated and utilised for its medicinal properties in ancient Greece. It was always thought to be favorable to the blood, the heart, and the digestive system. It has been considered as a laxative; a cure for bad breath, coughs and headaches; and even as an aphrodisiac. More recently, it has been recommended as a cancer preventative and as a means of boosting the immune system.

Beetroot is a nutritious vegetable with many health-giving properties. It has a higher sugar content than most vegetables. It is rich in vitamin C, fibre, potassium and magnesium. The leafy tops are an excellent source of beta-carotene, iron and calcium.

Beetroot is delicious eaten raw, grated in salads or as a juice, particularly combined with orange and/or apple.

In ancient Greece olive oil was used for cooking, as medicine and for religious purposes. They used it for light as it was the principal source of fuel for lamps. It was also used for perfumes, soaps, lubricants as well as in offerings and magic!

Homer called it "Liquid gold" and Hippocrates "The great therapeutic".