Best value veg??

Was wondering which veg's you all think are the tastiest AND most productive?? There are lots with delicious flavour and many that give a bumper crop, but which ones do you reckon do BOTH?? as well as being not too difficult.

I'll make a start by nominating Kale 'Pentland Brigg'
Not at all your usual kale, but gives tender tasty shoots over a long period. And i found it easy to grow. But then your soils/climates etc will be different to mine, as well as your taste buds, so...........??

Clemson Spineless Okra.

"eyes"

But do you get lots from it? Thought okra was a bit difficult - hope you'll prove me wrong, i LOVE it!!

Phil......I get a ton of here in Texas....all summer long!

"eyes"

Mmmmmmmmm lucky thing!! I'd have to import some of your weather to have a ton of it here LOL. No chance under British skies :o(

Zucchini has to be one of the most prolific crops on a "per foot" basis. Some would argue against its taste, but I find it a very versatile garden mainstay - sliced lengthwise, drizzled with some olive oil and sprinkled with fresh herbs and a bit of kosher salt, tossed on the grill when the chicken is almost done - mmmm. Or chunked up raw with a dip, or cut in half and used for a "boat" for other diced veggies and breadcrumbs.

I usually yank up the plants before they're done, because we've eaten our fill, and the neighbors run when they see us coming with a paper sack in hand :)

I'll have to include Roma tomatoes or maybe cherry tomatoes. Potatoes also do well if the soil is loose and fertile and you start out with big whole potatoes.

Vols:

How come you ain't pickling them?

Do you want a recipe?

Brook, I did make zucchini "pineapple" and canned it this year. Which reminds me, I should probably start using it up :)

Zucchini pickles, huh? Hmmm. Well, if I have another bumper crop I'll be digging for recipes, I'm sure!

I've never heard of less than a bumper crop of zucchini. Even just one hill tends to take over the world.

I'll never forget the year we put in six hills. We were new to gardening, and didn't know any better. Zukes got to be the size of baseball bats, and the kids filled their wagon with them and peddled them all over the neighborhood.

2 qts Zucchini Pickles
2 medium onions, sliced thin.
3 cups cider vinegar.
2 cups sugar.
1 tsp. turmeric.
1 tsp. dry mustard.
1 tsp. celery seed.
2 tsp. mustard seed.

Combine zucchini & onions. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with cold water & let stand two hours. Drain. Rinse with fresh water. Drain again.

Combine remaining ingredients in enamel kettle and bring to a boil. Cook two minutes. Add zucchini & onions. Remove from heat & let stand two hours. Bring to boil and cook five minutes. Ladle while hot into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process in boiling water bath 15 minutes. Yeild: 4 pints.

You can slice the zukes thickly instead of spearing them, if you like. And this also works for yellow summer squash.

I have always been partial to sugar snap peas in the spring and then again in the fall. Pick them fresh and saute in a little bit of butter - borders on being a dessert.

Oh, yum, yes. I love those too. And the okra and the zukes. Can't wait to get my veg plot under way again!!

Brook why an enamel kettle??

Doesn't have to be enamel, Louisa, but it should be nonreactive. Enamalware is what most people have along those lines.

Above all else, do not use aluminum for canning. Frankly, I won't even cook in it. It is very reactive (even plain water can leach it), and aluminum is as unhealthy as some heavy metals.

Well that's what I was wondering Brook because there are some who feel that enamel might be responsible for Altzeimers!! Not sure mind, but did hear or read of it somewhere!!

Far as I know you're thinking of aluminum; which has been linked to Altzeimers and other degenerative diseases.

Can't see how enamal would contribute to anything. It's inert, and doesn't migrate into what you're cooking. My understanding is that enamalware is as safe as glass---providing the enamel coating hasn't been corrupted.

They seem to have gone off the idea of aluminium cooking pans having any link with Alzheimer's. Still in the dark as to cause. My husband is in the advanced stages, but we never had any aluminium around.

I certainly wouldn't ever use it though, it comes up suspiciously shiny bright after cooking eg rhubarb, or other acid foods.
Agree that enamel is entirely different and non-reactive Brook.

I wasn't sure about it but take your word on that Brook!! My aunt had Altzeimers and cooked all the time with aluminium!! So very sorry to hear about your hubbie Phil!!

I believe that stainless steel is also as safe as enamel-coated cookware. I am fortunate to have several large stainless dutch-kettle and stockpot style pans that my mom bought years ago. They're not much fun to clean if you scorch something, but I do like using them for preparing foods for canning, especially those that are acidic.

Yes, i like stainless steel too. Lasts and lasts.

With any luck I'll be passing these down to MY daughter when she sets up a household ;0)

Hmmmm. I already have :O .......sigh

Stainless is perfectly safe. However, unless it's a fairly heavy grade it buckles, warps, and turns blue (literally) when used on a range.

I've got several heavy duty stainless stockpots, which I use for soup, chiles, etc. But, frankly, when it comes to cooking, I prefer my cast iron. Wish I could find a piece as big as the stock pots. My mixing bowls are all either stainless or glass.

And, before anyone jumps on me, cast iron is _not_ nonreactive. However, the iron that leaches out is good for you.

Not to change the subject, but no one said anything about good old green beans! I hav picked bushels for me and then given away more bushels with on 1/2 pound package of beans and picked over the course of two or three months.

And I love them Kathleen - send them over here....lol!!!

"....good old green beans."

That's kind of a meaningless phrase, Kathleen. Which of the 4,000 or so varieties do you have in mind?

Top of the list, for me, is Tobacco Worm, which sets the standard by which I judge all other snap beans.

Of course, your point----that in terms of productivity, taste, and return on investment nothing beats snap beans---is absolutely correct.

What're we having for Sunday dinner? Chicken, with a heapin' helping of tobacco worms! Yum yum! (Sounds like "Fear Factor meets the Southern family dinner table" LOL.)

Cute, Vols, very cute.

Can we say the "B" word? :-)

Hell's bells, Brook, they were beans, they were green and they came in a paper envelope from Agway! I won't make that mistake again - madder than a wet hen at Agway (farmers' cooperative, phooey! They bring out really bad language on my part!), and I'm a bit more choosy about variety. I WILL be planting some Tobacco Worm this year because of the generosity of some nice southern gentleman (?), and Dragon's Tongue, lovely yellow and purple strippy things.

Dragon's Tongue is a real nice choice, Kathleen. If they would keep that coloring when cooked they'd really be sumpin!

Could you picture them cooked al dente, with that coloring, and knapped with a aoli verde sauce? Boy oh boy, I'm making myself hungry.

Who's going to host this year's harvest picnic? I can't top zucchini as being a good bumper crop veggie. Its great in bread as well. I encourage people to grow Mexican zucchini this year. It's a smaller fruit, has a smaller seed bed (or whatever you call that channel of seeds), is very tasty, and stays firm when cooked

Golly Brook - whatever do you mean by the B word? You calling me a bad name there, buddy? Or were you referring to one of those vegetables-that-shall-not-be-called-by-name-in-my-presence (but that start with a B?) Just trying to give you a graceful exit there (*grin*)

SquareRoot! Care to elaborate on that Mexican Zuke? Would like to hear more about it! (And Kathleen, hope you were eating Blue Lakes...yummy beans! and yes, GREEN!)

>Just trying to give you a graceful exit there (*grin*)<

And I appreciate it, G-V. You're a real Southeren lady, you are! ;-)

Horseshoe,

I've been searching for my seeds and pictures of the Mexican zucchini I have, but seem to have misplaced them. I'll repost with a picture soon.

Also known as "calabasitas" (little squashes) from Texas to Tierra Del Fuego, Mexican zucchini are smaller (4"-6" long), rounder, and have mottled stripes of light and lighter greens than the Italian variety. It is not unusual to get smaller almost completely round, like a ball, from your plants. Because of their looks, the round zucchinis end up being prized for soups. The flavor is denser than the Italian variety, and I've found that the Mexican zucchini is a much more versatile vegetable in many recipes than the Italian variety.

As soon as I find my seeds, I'll send you a batch. You probably have a great growing season in North Carolina.

Thanks a bunch squareroot! Sounds like something I'd like to try! You're right, our growing season is perfect for zukes and squashes. Lemme know what you need up your way (other than warm weather)!

Green beans and sugar snap peas are my favorite veggies to grow. This year I'm doing three kinds of beans, regular Blue Lake, Nickel Bush beans, and Roc D Or yellow bush beans. I planted sugar snap peas a couple of weeks ago, then we had 4 inches of snow and 5 inches of rain, I thought they wouldn't come up but I went to the garden today and they were popping out of the ground. I was so happy.