Uncommon vegetables? do you grow any?

[dconklin]

Pasta with Artichokes is more lightly to be Globe Artichokes, not related. Globe Artichokes are Thistles, Jerusalem Artichokes are Sunflowers.

I didn't know artichokes were from the flowers. I knew nothing about them. Yeah the pasta probably didn't really have a lot in it anyway, I imagine just a small amount to call it pasta with artichoke. I didn't remember it tasting much different then regular pasta, but it was quite a bit more expensive so I only tried it a couple times when it was on sale.

 

[zigs]

The globe artichokes are very labour intensive, hence the cost. Only the base of the Bracts are used, and the hearts of the immature flowers. Flavour is great though.

 

[Jed]

The globe artichokes are very labour intensive, hence the cost. Only the base of the Bracts are used, and the hearts of the immature flowers. Flavour is great though.

I've only tried globe artichokes once at a friends house. It was a labour of love to pull the bits off to suck a small portion out each time. Maybe I need more practice.
The plant itself reminds me of those horrid prickly thistles that I have to deal with each year to stop them spreading through my gardens.
Jerusalem artichokes. The lazy alternative if only in name.

 

[dim]

cucamelons is something that many are speaking highly of on veg forums ....
(Doll’s house-sized ‘watermelons’ that taste of pure cucumber with a tinge of lime)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/thing-you-must-plant-this-instant-cucamelons

cocktail Kiwi Plant:
http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/...volution+Seeds/Cocktail+Kiwi+Plant_239390.htm

quote:
Originating from Siberia. Hardy down to -35°C and growing up to 2m in one season, this delightful, grapevine-like plant produces up to 400 miniature fuzz-free kiwis every year! (This is a self-fertile variety.)

Eat them fresh from the vine or cut them in half and dry in a low oven to make sticky wine gum-like sweets but without any E numbers!

James says - 'Super sweet mini kiwis that come with a fuzz-free edible skin.'
Culture: Plant: Can grow up to 2m. Can yield up to 20kg fruit when mature. Harvest: September-November

tree spinach:
grows to 8 feet in a year and tastes like spinach ... large leaves are cooked like spinach, and new leaves are used in salads

Orach red .... these leaves are eaten raw in salads ... grows 1,2 meters tall

Sorrel bloody dock ... grows 2 foot tall and is eaten raw in salads or can be cooked:

 

[lovinglife]

I would love to try those little kiwis! what a neat snack!

 

[ChanellG]

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought what are "uncommon" vegetables? Since just because something isn't known to one person it doesn't make it uncommon to another. I had never even heard of Jerusalem artichokes until recently and I've certainly never seen one (that I know of) in person.

cucamelons is something that many are speaking highly of on veg forums ....

Dim are these all plants you are growing currently?

The globe artichokes are very labour intensive, hence the cost. Only the base of the Bracts are used, and the hearts of the immature flowers. Flavour is great though.

Regular artichokes are labour intensive if you ask me; the ones I have been getting are on the smallish size and paring them down to get to the hearts took forever!

 

[dim]

Dim are these all plants you are growing currently?

I have all those that I mentioned .... all doing well (so far), but I'm still waiting for the cucamelon seeds to germinate (they take a few weeks .... it's been over 2 weeks since I potted them and still nothing showing yet)

 

[ChanellG]

I have all those that I mentioned .... all doing well (so far), but I'm still waiting for the cucamelon seeds to germinate (they take a few weeks .... it's been over 2 weeks since I potted them and still nothing showing yet)

That's amazing! Are these hybrid plants? I've never heard of tree spinach, but it is something that interests me as I love spinach. I get a lot of fresh produce each week from my local farmer's market and now that I am hooked on kale and chard I want to start growing them. I could easily add tree spinach to that list, but I don't really want to have Frankenfoods in my garden anymore than in my shopping cart. Do you know the history of the plant?

 

[dim]

That's amazing! Are these hybrid plants? I've never heard of tree spinach, but it is something that interests me as I love spinach. I get a lot of fresh produce each week from my local farmer's market and now that I am hooked on kale and chard I want to start growing them. I could easily add tree spinach to that list, but I don't really want to have Frankenfoods in my garden anymore than in my shopping cart. Do you know the history of the plant?

tree spinach is Chenopodium giganteum also known as Magenta Spreen, Purple Goosefoot, Giant Lambsquarters

herewith a link:

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2003/01/31/2966/

and another link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenopodium_giganteum

 

[ChanellG]

tree spinach is Chenopodium giganteum also known as Magenta Spreen, Purple Goosefoot, Giant Lambsquarters

Thanks, Dim! Lambsquarters sounds vaguely familiar.. I may have to look into this. I have become hooked on chard and kale thanks to the weekly box from my local farmer's market. I'd like to start growing dino kale and rainbow chard as well as spinach and lettuce.

 

[dim]

Thanks, Dim! Lambsquarters sounds vaguely familiar.. I may have to look into this. I have become hooked on chard and kale thanks to the weekly box from my local farmer's market. I'd like to start growing dino kale and rainbow chard as well as spinach and lettuce.

check this guy (James wong) .... he markets the seeds for unusual rared veg/fruit here in the UK (seeds are available for cheap (£1.85 per pack) at my local garden centre:

 

[dim]

and here are the seeds he markets (check all 3 pages .... some interesting stuff):

http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/...eds/list.htm?gclid=CMr1stuD37cCFSXHtAod62wA4g

 

[ChanellG]

I'm not sure about ordering seeds from across the pond. The postal services/governments in various countries tend to meddle in that sort of thing and you never know if your seeds will germinate. One of the nearby farmer's markets also has a little urban farm. Maybe the next time I go by I'll ask the growers what they know about it.

 

[dim]

I'm not sure about ordering seeds from across the pond. The postal services/governments in various countries tend to meddle in that sort of thing and you never know if your seeds will germinate. One of the nearby farmer's markets also has a little urban farm. Maybe the next time I go by I'll ask the growers what they know about it.

google the names of his seeds .... you will most probably find that they are available in your country with a different name (example: he labels them as Inca Berries .... common name is Cape Gooseberries)

James Wong has a series on youtube about healthfoods (called grow your own drugs) ....makes for interesting viewing (watch the other parts on youtube if it interests you:

 

[ChanellG]

I was just telling my mother I want to do a tea garden with more herbs. I am a big believer in food as medicine and had started down this road once before, but I lost all those plants after a move. Now that I'm older and wiser I'm ready to have a go at it again.