It’s Friday afternoon, and that means it’s time for me to give you a little weekend reading from around the web. Here are a few food related items that I thought might interest you.

THE former commandant of the elysian kitchen of Per Se, Jonathan Benno, was bouncing in the muddy bed of a Chevy pickup as it navigated 180 acres of vegetables at Barber Farms. It lurched to a stop before a row of weird, pointy-headed cabbages.

“Now, this interests me,” he said.

 

Jacob Hooper, the farm’s manager, plucked one and handed it to Mr. Benno, who nibbled a leaf and said, “It’s like a hearty lettuce, very mild.” The name of the cabbage, Caraflex, was unfamiliar, but he registered its taste for some future menu item.

Jamie Oliver has been given a daily TV show in which he will try to stop Britons eating so many takeaways.

 

The celebrity chef will show viewers how to get a meal on the table in less time than it takes for a takeaway to arrive.

You've heard of cat-sitters, dog-sitters and, of course, babysitters. But chicken-sitters?

 

In Portland, Ore., a city known for its deep do-it-yourself streak and poultry-permissive laws, two backyard farmers have stepped up to meet an unusual need: watching hens when their owners go on vacation.

 

In May, Rhonda Piasecki, 43, and Sharon Rowland, 35, launched Just Us Hens, which they believe is the nation's first chicken-sitting service.

Image: Matt Callow