your most unusual veggie

What's the most unusual veggie you've ever grown?

tell us where you got the seed too.

kathy

Not unusual but relatively rare in todays world - Salsify or Oyster plant. Makes a delicious mock oyster stew. Most of the older companies still carry it. I got it from Shumway. Did well back in Virginia but touch and go here in the Georgia heat.

Now I've heard of both of those, but had no idea that you could eat the oyster plant. That sounds interesting. I knew you'd chime in here with something unusual LOL

About the only thing I've ever grown unusual or not so ordinary is artichokes LOL Don't get too way out of the ordinary in the veggie garden.

Different name for the same plant. The root is the main edible part. Looks like a skinny parsnip or white skinny carrot although there isa balck type. Mammoth Sandwich Island is the most available in the USA. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/100339/

I have just started to garden after not doing it for years. The vegetables I am planting are ones that are either expensive in the grocery or I can't find a source for them. This year I want to try fennel bulb and broccoli raab as some unusual ones.

Fennel bulbs are great stuff chopped up and cooked with chicken as the veggie in the dish. I love them. I've heard they take a while to form, though. Any truth to that?

I didn't really think Salsify was unusual, as my mother used to use it - and raise it. We had the white kind.

Cardoon, on the other hand, I'd never heard of prior to getting seeds. I think it was Victory seeds, but might've been Baker Creek or one of the others - it was an online order. Can't grow it this year with my gardening situation, but I intend to do so for next year or the year after, to see what it's like.

-Sev

Now see, i've heard of cardoon, but not salsify LOL

Cardoon, and thier cousin the globe artichoke are much more popular in the west than the east. Now if we could just make thier other cousin the Canada thistle a little more palatable,

Farmerdill, I wondered if we could grow Salsify here. I'm a vegetarian, and am always looking for new veg. but was wondering if these would survive here.

Malabar spinach and stem lettuce are probably the most unusual vegetables I grow.

GGG

Trombocino, the climbing zucchini- never saw one till I grew it. Came from Pintree seeds. Guess it's not so unusual- it's the first one in Plantfiles if you search zucchini
Golden purslane.
I have salsify in the garden now, I think, from wild oyster plant seed from Canada. Guess I should peek under there and see! I want some to flower and seed for me.
I almost ordered the giant okra from Pinetree- says they can get 15 inch pods on 8 foot plant. Thought they might make an interesting dried pod.

Ggg, Up here about 100 miles from you I have grown salsify. It was many, many years ago but it did well and was delicious. It does have an oyster- like rather mild flavor.
Last summer I grew the Trombocino squash in a grow box on my deck. It was beautiful and did exceptionally well. Very tasty also.

never heard of a vining zuchinni. cool