Lethal leaves

Do you know, something strange is happening in the vegetable garden. The lettuces are growing, the rocket is rocketing and the purple basil is flourishing. We have salad! Look:

This is why I grow vegetables, for the tasty, peppery, punchy leaves which are crispy and full of charm - ie little slug eaten holes and grainy bits of soil still attached. Covered in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of good vinegar, this salad accompanies everything we eat from now until October. But you've got to be careful, some of those leaves are damn hot and if you've ever nearly choked on rocket by not chewing it properly and it somehow starts travelling down your wind pipe - then you'll understand how lethal these leaves can be.