Morogo magic

Budget-friendly indigenous leafy greens - fresh, sautéed or preserved for later use are on Mokgadi Itsweng's menu at this time of year.

Nothing says veggie heaven to me like having access to an abundance of morogo because it is in season now. This means I get these leafy greens at a good price and at the peak of their nutritional value. Growing up with a granny who had her own veg garden meant that I learnt early how to eat the whole vegetable, including its leaves, and how to forage for wild, seasonal morogo such as amaranth leaves (thepe) and blackjack leaves (mushidzi).

Eating beetroot leaves, pumpkin or baby marrow leaves (lerotse) and okra (delele) is an old food practice that has largely been lost because we've become so detached from the origins of our food, and we buy our vegetables with their leaves removed.

But these leaves are not only rich in iron, fibre, folate, and vitamins, they're also delicious, and eating them reduces food waste.