But what are everyone's main contenders for vegetable of the year?

At the moment mushrooms are quite a bit ahead of the pack for me. Courgettes and onions are up there in second and third place. My personal favourite veg, the sprout is way back in fourth, but that could change drastically before the year is out. Courgettes are something of a dark horse, having never come near even the top ten for me before, but their strong performances in stir-fries has seen them rocket into second place. And I think they might just have what it takes to challenge for the top spot. Not that mushrooms will be easy to topple. I think versatility has been their main asset. Mushrooms have consistantly featured in many a meal of mine; stews, cottage pies, curries, stir-fries... and the list goes on.

So... how are everyone else's top 3's looking at this early stage? And before anyone starts the old vegetable\fungus\root argument, vegeatable of the year rules state that if it appears in the veg section of greengrocers then it's eligible for vegetable of the year.