Eat shoots and leaves

In many fridges, "salad" used to mean flavourless iceberg lettuce and a tomato or two, but a quick scan of the supermarket shelves will now reveal as many as 25 different bagged salads on offer for the discerning leaf-lover.

The main UK supermarkets sell a staggering 334 million bags of salad per year. So what turned salad from a cottage industry into a £400m a year business?

Steve Rothwell, a farmer and self-declared "leaf boffin" with a PhD in Watercress from Bath University, has watched demand for leaves explode since the 1970s, when supermarkets first began to sell lettuce in bags.

He believes the convenience of bagged salad was the key to its early popularity: "In the 1970s, supermarket produce counters were just a jumble of tired-looking whole-head lettuce, a 'help-yourselves' sort of affair. But in 1976 Britain had a long, hot summer, and when watercress was launched in bags it flew off the shelves. I think that started what became a massive trend; people picking up something that was more consumer-friendly."

Steve says that shoppers relished buying salad that could be eaten straight from the bag without the need for chopping or washing, so during the 1980s and 1990s the market continued to expand. Consumers began to pay more attention to flavour, buying into new types of leaf such as baby spinach or rocket, which was championed by Delia Smith.

Today, there is another concern which motivates shoppers' choices, and that is the impact their food has on the environment.

Steve's Leaves (www.stevesleaves.co.uk) is the only salad producer compliant with the Conservation Grade scheme, whose stringent protocols require farmers to set aside 10 per cent of their land for conservation purposes. While this is impressive, Steve admits he has yet to solve the main environmental problem raised by bagged salads - the bags can't usually be recycled.

Thankfully, Steve believes a compostable salad-bag could be just around the corner: "We've had trials going for two years, using a starch-based material to create a biodegradable bag. I would say it's possible within a year or so, it's just about finding something that ticks all the boxes in terms of fitness for purpose and safety."

Like ice-cream, salad inevitably sells better in hot weather. People buy 50 - 60 per cent more during the summer, and with forecasters predicting above-average temperatures this year, bags could be set to fly off the shelves the way they did in 1976.

Steve expects the football World Cup to encourage customers, too: "They'll be sat in front of the tellie, a lot of people round, pizza and beer - and then having some salad because either their wives are worried about their health, or they are!"

So if you're a recent salad convert, how should you distinguish between the huge array of options, every bag promising superior flavour, colour or organic credentials? It depends if you're prioritising taste, novelty or health benefits. Steve hopes to cover each of these bases with his own range of salads, recently launched as "Steve's Leaves".

The wasabi rocket - branded as "Super Hot Rocket" - was bred for its powerful flavour, and will appeal to those who like their salad with a spicy kick. For those who want a taste of the next big thing, his "Shoots and Leaves" mix contains pea-shoots, the latest leaf to grace London restaurants. And for the health posse who demand nothing less than a super-food, he offers "Nose-Tinglingly Peppery Baby Watercress", which contains more iron than spinach, more vitamin C than an orange, and more calcium than whole milk. Cut earlier than the traditional variety, baby watercress lacks the long, stringy stalks that can protrude when you chew normal cress - what Steve calls "the Ermintrude effect".

For those who will spend the summer on their allotments rather than the sofa, Steve has the following special tip: Gardeners growing their lettuces under plastic should bear in mind that they like to be stroked.

Research by Vitacress, the parent company of Steve's Leaves, has shown that leaves grow stronger and tastier when rustled by the wind. If they are growing in polytunnels or greenhouses, they respond well to stroking, which stimulates the same enzyme as wind-rustling and produces leaves of superior colour and flavour.

:: Watercress and pancetta ciabatta pizza (Serves 2) 1 large ciabatta loaf 1 tin of tomatoes 2 shallots 1 garlic clove 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp sugar ½ tsp smoked paprika 8 slices smoked pancetta 250g mozzarella, sliced 20g watercress Salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 5.

Make a tomato sauce by finely chopping the shallots and garlic, then frying them in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, sugar, smoked paprika and seasoning. Place over a medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes until reduced and resembling a thick paste.

Cut the ciabatta in half lengthways and place on a baking tray. Spread the tomato sauce over the cut side of the ciabatta. Then lay the slices of smoked pancetta and mozzarella on top.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the mozzarella is golden brown. Lay the watercress on top of the mozzarella and serve with a simple tomato salad.

:: Seasonal shoots, leaves, Jersey Royals and broad bean salad (Serves 2) 1 bag 'Shoots and Leaves'

2 generous handfuls broad beans 8-10 Jersey Royal new potatoes 4 slices bacon 1tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil 1 knob butter Salt and pepper Quarter the new potatoes and boil for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Drain the potatoes then add the butter and mix until the butter is melted.

Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and fry until crispy. Place the parsley, shoots and leaves onto a plate, then drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil.

Add the broad beans, crispy bacon and buttered new potatoes, then serve.

:: Tuna carpaccio with super hot rocket and wasabi peas (Serves 2) 400-500g tuna loin 2tbsp vegetable oil salt and pepper 1 bag 'Super Hot Rocket'

1 handful wasabi peas 2 tsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice Rub the tuna loin with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Sear in a very hot pan on each side for 2 minutes.

Wrap in cling film, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Place the rocket on a plate, drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice.

Slice the tuna thinly and lay on top of the rocket. Sprinkle over the wasabi peas and serve.