Just as Black Friday began ahead of time on Thanksgiving Day this year, the seed catalogs began arriving in my mailbox in November instead of late December when they normally do. I’m not sure this will spur people to order earlier or more than usual, but in my case, it did allow time for a more leisurely look-through.
In my perusal through the vegetable seed section I realized that I am stuck in a vegetable rut. I plant the same varieties year after year. In my defense, I plant them because they are successful and we like the vegetables they produce.
But I am limiting myself and my palate by not being more adventurous. Here are just a few of the different vegetables that caught my eye in the first catalog to arrive. Some are newly developed; others are just new to me.
Beans: ‘Rattlesnake Pole’ is an heirloom climbing green bean with purple streaks. The catalog says the streaks fade when they are cooked. Vines can reach up to 10’ tall with 7-10” pods.
Beets: ‘Cylindra’ is an heirloom carrot-shaped beet that grows up to 6” long. It has an especially sweet flavor and is a favorite of chefs for its ease of peeling and uniform slices.
Broccoli: ‘Sante F1Hybrid’ is also known as broccolini for its appearance if small, deep purple heads above leafy stalks. When I first glanced at it, I wondered what ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum was doing in the vegetable section of the catalog! This broccoli is easier to grow than some others because it does not require cold treatment to induce sprouting.
Carrots: ‘Cosmic Purple.’ The deep purple color drew my eye, but the description of “crunchy roots and sweet flavor with a slight hint of spice” sold me on it. With 70 days from planting to harvest, the roots average a nice 7” long.
Cucumber: ‘Lemon’ looks just like a lemon – round and yellow! The 3” fruits have a delicate flavor and crunchy bite. ‘Lemon’ grows well in cool conditions and is a good choice for container planting.
Onions: ‘Yellow Cipollini’ onions are just cute. They are flattened, saucer-shaped yellow onions measuring 3-4” across, great for grilling and roasting. ‘Cipollini’ has a pungent, sharp flavor that mellows with cooking.
Potatoes: ‘All Blue’ might be hard to get used to on the plate. They have deep blue skins and flesh with a soft, moist texture. ‘All Red’ has cranberry colored skin with a pinkish tie-dyed look inside. Combine these two with a white potato for a patriotic potato salad!
Zucchini: ‘Costata Romanesco’ is nothing like the ‘Black Beauty’ zucchini I’ve been growing. It looks like little candles with huge flames when the flower is still attached. This Italian heirloom zucchini has a slightly nutty flavor, tender gray-green skin and prominent ribbing. The catalog recommends picking when just 6” long or less and frying them whole with the flower still attached.
The garden is going to look a lot different next year!
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