Scallions are onions that have been harvested early. The mild flavor makes them perfect as a topping on a baked potato or stir-fried.
Leeks are mild in flavor, even milder than scallions, and usually used in stock.
Although native to Eurasia, catnip is fully naturalized across North America. Part of the Mint family, it is sometimes called Catmint. What is essentially a behavior-modifying drug for felines works as a mild sedative for us. When catnip’s crushed leaves and flower buds are brewed as a tea, it has a calming effects. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) has also been used widely in salads and soups, and as a digestive aid.
With crack-resistant fruits on disease-resistant plants, First Lady’s fruiting occurs in clusters on the vine and production is early.
An early producer, Jet Setter is one of the first beefsteak varieties to ripen. Fruits are perfect for slicing and salads.
The fruits of Big Beef tomatoes are very firm and crack-resistant. This hybrid shows increased disease resistance and is a former “All-America Selections” winner. With an old-fashioned acidic flavor, this is a great tomato for saucing and fresh eating.
Celebrity is a beautiful tomato with consistent yields, even coloration, increased disease resistance and a productive habit. Use fresh in salsas and salads, and process for soups, canning and saucing.
A meaty, slightly sweet slicing tomato, Champion was bred as a sandwich tomato. It’s a hybrid with increased disease resistance.
Cilantro is an essential herb in Latin American cuisine. The leaves are also found in other ethnic recipes, and the seeds, coriander, are found in Indian and Chinese dishes. A small percentage of people taste a soap flavor when eating cilantro.
Dill flowers are attractive to many species of beneficial insects, making it a good choice for all gardens. Dill is used in pickling and making “dilly beans” and is excellent with roasted potatoes and vegetables.
Culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) has a perfume-like fragrance and flavor, and it produces lovely blue flower spikes in midsummer. Use it in poultry, stuffings and vegetable dishes. Tri-colored sage looks beautiful in containers and tastes great, though its flavor is a bit stronger than standard sage.
Arugula’s spicy, peppery flavor is distinctive. The leaves are elongated with irregular margins and look beautiful in a salad mix. Harvest arugula frequently to increase the production of fresh, new foliage.
