It doesn't matter who's wrong or right, just sea beet it.

Was the venerable MJ singing about sea beet? Probably not. Has he heard of sea beet? Probably not. Have you? Hopefully.

For those who enjoy beeting it - in the cleanest possible sense - there's good new: grisly bearded foragers in souwesters and waxed hats are harvesting the coastal plant as we speak. For professional chefs, it's available from Chef Direct (01275 474707) for £8/kg.

The coastal weed is the wild ancestor of common vegetables such as beetroot, sugar beet, and Swiss chard and a tasty. It's around from April to October and it's best to use the smaller top leaves in salad and the bottom leaves as a vegetable, boiling then buttering.

Mark Hix has got a cheeky recipe for sea beet and wild fennel soup with crab here.