Until I read of this plant in the Real Seeds catalogue, I hadn't heard of or tasted Amaranth. The purple amaranth that I grow is one of a large family of plants grown variously: for the leaves, which are a super spinach alternative, the seeds (quinoa) and as a decorative plant. Both the leaves and seed are highly nutritious, with many health benefits claimed. The seed provide a good quality protein that is popular with vegetarians.
We grow our amaranth for the leaves, picking out the tender shoots for cooking. The plants are very productive producing more side shoots for picking 3 or 4 days later. It is also very easy to grow, self seeding freely and very decorative with drooping flower heads that become full of seeds.
We cook this in a similar way to spinach: Wash well, cook the wet leaves without adding any extra water in a covered pot until tender. Finish with butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. This is one of the few bright red vegetables that retains its colour during cooking.
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