Good news for gourmet gardeners

For the past two-three years I've been ordering seeds from England on the Net. A couple of weeks ago while thumbing through the seeds on offer in my favourite garden shop I wondered aloud why rocket, the latest, most fashionable salad vegetable was yet to make its appearance in Trinidad because I've no trouble growing it in pots in my backyard. Great was my delight when my garden shop manager phoned to tell me he'd just got some rocket seeds — from his local supplier and distributor. Which means that you, too, can enjoy rocket.

One word of warning. You're not likely to see rocket in supermarkets — well, not yet, anyway, because the best tasting leaves are young, a mere three to four weeks old. Let them get much older and they're too bitter. Rocket leaves need to be young and tender, which means sowing them at monthly intervals, but they're well worth it for the added spice a leaf or two torn into shreds give to boring old lettuce. Or you could make an entire salad of young rocket leaves.

Failing that, try this excellent recipe for fish burgers with mustard mayonnaise — and rocket (don't try to make it with anything else, rocket gives this snack the finishing touch). Make fish burgers for four with:

4 small firm white fish fillets (I used flying fish)

1/4 cup plain flour

1 egg, beaten lightly

1 cup stale breadcrumbs

Cooking oil spray

8 slices multi-grain bread (or ciabatta, or Turkish if you can get it)

12 (no more, less will do) young rocket leaves

I (preferably red)onion sliced thinly

MUSTARD MAYONNAISE

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise (if you're not afraid of cholesterol, use the regular variety)

2 teaspoons lemon juice ( limes are too acid for this mayonnaise)

1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds (try the gourmet shops if your supermarket doesn't have them)

1 tablespoon snipped chives (otherwise mince the thinnest green blade of sive you can find)

METHOD

Trim the fish fillets to fit the size of the slices of multi-grain (or whatever) bread.

Put the flour in a plastic bag, put the pieces of fish in the bag, one at a time, and shake to coat each one with flour.

Roll each fillet in the beaten egg, then coat with the dry breadcrumbs.

Arrange the fillets on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (I prepared my fish in the morning and cooked it in the evening).

Mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, seeded mustard and chopped chives - or minced sive.

Coat a large, non-stick pan with cooking oil spray (I used a large Corning ware frying pan).

Heat the pan, add the fish, cook until browned on both sides and just cooked through (this should only take a minute or two).

Toast the bread and arrange the sandwich-burgers by spreading each of the toasted slices with the mustard mayonnaise, then add the rocket (or lettuce), the cooked fish and sliced onion. Top with slices of toasted bread.

Place the prepared sandwich-burgers on paper or linen napkins, arrange on a plate and serve .

Serves 2 very, very hungry or 4 not-so-hungry people.

Bon appetit!