When I come across an unfamiliar word in my meter reading , I’mimmediatelycurious about its meaning , so I promptly explore for a definition to better see it . I might also incorporate that new word into my own lexicon . likewise , when I encounter an unusual plant life , I ’m eager to investigate . I want to learn more about its setting , uses , and method of propagation . Of naturally , that process opens the door for possible newcomers into my own garden . That ’s the beauty of find !
This clause is an first appearance to a pair of relatively isolated vegetables that could become conversation appetiser among fellow gardeners . These distinctive refreshed edibles offer nutritional advantage , as well as novel appeal . Let ’s find out about them .
Brassica oleracea gongylodes
The name Brassica oleracea gongylodes ( Brassica oleraceavar . gongylodes ) comes from a compounding of two German words : kohl , which means cabbage , and rapa , which means Brassica rapa . Brassica oleracea gongylodes originated in northwesterly Germany , but did not become part of the American diet until the early 1800s . For those who have never look this vegetable , the root word of a kohlrabi plant is swollen at the bottom with thickset , waxy leaves that get upward from the round bulb at its base . The plant can reach a height of 45 – 50 cm ( 16 – 20 in ) . Kohlrabi cultivars may be green , white , or purple . Atfirstglance , you might say , “ This odd - looking congener of the cabbage class resembles an alien beast masquerade as an comestible craw . ” Thomas Jefferson grew this veg in his garden at Monticello , address it turnip pelf . He get word that kohlrabi was a hardy crop and mainly used it as food for his livestock .
Brassica oleracea gongylodes plants favor well - drained soil with mass of organic affair and neutral pH ( 6.0 – 7.5 ) . They thrive in cool temperature and are most rich in the fountain or surrender . Warmer temperatures can lead to rapid maturation rates that may result in tall , spindly plants with downcast crop production . Kohlrabi seeds can be sown outdoors in the spring after the last frost date , or 11 weeks in advance of the first hoarfrost in the decline . germ should be planted at a deepness of 1 cm ( ½ in ) and about 10 cm ( 4 in ) aside . They take approximately 60 days to reach maturity .
This flora has a shallow ancestor system and needs systematically moist dirt to produce crisp , slightly sweet turnip cabbage . One inch of water supply per week is ideal . Mulching will avail the plant life keep back moisture , as well as check unwanted weeds . If plants meet insufficient water , the turnip cabbage crop can be tough and bitter . These above - primer bulbs should be picked when they are 6 – 7 curium ( 2 – 2 ½ in ) in diameter . After harvesting , turnip cabbage should be kept in coolheaded store until you are ready to eat on them .
Kohlrabi flora are subject to some diseases , such as downy mould and bacterial putrefaction , but these are loosely not a huge problem . Insect pestilence that can create trouble for kohlrabi are aphids , flea beetle , cabbage dirt ball , wampum looper , and cutworms . Young seedling are the most vulnerable .
By now you are probably wonder what you might do with this particular vegetable . To keep it simple , just hack or slit it up and impart to your favorite sweet salads . instead , you could make fun turnip cabbage and append it to pasta or rice dishes . This vegetable has the crispy consistency of an orchard apple tree , but its unique taste is akin to turnips , Brassica oleracea italica , and simoleons , with a hint of nutty flavor . One recipe prompting you might need to essay iskohlrabi slaw .
It ’s worth noting the wellness benefit of this strange - looking veggie . impertinent kohlrabi is rich in vitamin carbon , an antioxidant that oppose disease and combats free root word , which are associated with cancer . Similar to other phallus of theBrassicafamily , Brassica oleracea gongylodes contains phytochemicals , which supply some protection against El Salvadoran colon and prostate cancer . Not surprisingly , turnip cabbage is also a great generator of dietary fibre . Sounds like it ’s worth a try for culinary experimentation inourkitchens !
Salsify
The word oyster plant might conjure up colorful images of rhythmical dancers or Mexican salsa , but it ’s actually the name of an edible plant . Salsify , sometimes called a veg huitre , is part of the Asteraceae family . Several varieties develop in the United States . White vegetable oyster ( Tragopogon porrifolius ) , often bear on to as goat ’s beard , huitre works , or imperial oyster plant , is the true oyster plant . It has a long , tan , sharpen taproot covered with hairy fibers . Its comparative , bootleg oyster plant ( Scozonera ) , frequently call black huitre , viper ’s sess , or serpent solution , is considered tastier and less fibrous than the ashen variety . This plant has a prospicient , flimsy , grim , oblong base with smoother tegument . Salsify works assess up to 90 cm ( 3 ft ) tall , and as they grow upwards , their leaves tend to diffuse out horizontally . Salsify ’s minute roots are in the main 20 – 25 cm ( 8 – 10 in ) long with a diameter of 2 cm ( ¾ in ) . Both the roots and green of the plant are edible .
Although unfamiliar to many people today , salsify was once a popular source veggie . White salsify is an eastern Mediterranean aboriginal and was a favorite in ancient Greece and Rome . colonist impart this industrial plant to North America in the 1700s , and settler in New England and the North Atlantic region appreciate its hardiness and resiliency . Black salsify was first grown in Spain and then exposit into many areas of Europe and Asia . You will still get it on the dinner party table in Belgium , France , Italy , and England . Thomas Jefferson grew both kind of vegetable oyster in his garden , and they are cultivated at Monticello today .
The operation of growing salsify is similar to that of carrots and parsnips . Plants grow best in light , well - drain ground that does not keep back too much moisture . If your area has dense mud soil , consider add some Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin and compost to loosen it up before planting salsify . Soil pH of 6 – 7 is acceptable for winner with oyster plant . Early give or fall are optimal times for starting seeds out of doors because they prefer cool weather . seed should be planted at a profoundness of 1½ cm ( ½ in ) , with 10 – 12 seeds every 30 centimetre ( 1 ft ) . They should be thinned when seedling are 5 curium ( 2 in ) grandiloquent , so that each plant in a wrangle has at least 8 curium ( 3 in ) of blank space . Rows of salsify works should be about 60 atomic number 96 ( 2 ft ) apart to provide for broad lateral spread of the leaves .
Salsify is a slow - grow plant that fly high in lax soil without locoweed , which compete for pee and nutrition . It takes 100 – 120 days for the solution craw to reach out maturity . Salsify is cold - hardy , and both varieties of vegetable oyster can resist a gruelling freeze . In fact , a frost tends to improve their feel . gardener can rejoice to hear that salsify is immune to most common horticulturaldiseases , and garden pests do n’t seem to bother the “ vegetable huitre ” at all . Salsify is classified as a two-year plant , so only the vegetative portion will develop in the first year of culture .
When you harvest vegetable oyster , cut the leaves off just above the roots . The foliage can be eaten rude or cooked like other fresh greens . Place the origin in cool memory board until you are ready to set up them . Wash the ascendant , scrape ( or off ) the problematical out peel , and place the form into a solution of water and acetum or maize succus to keep on its white color . you may steamer or pureé oyster plant and then add it into soup and swither . Or , just slice the theme and sauteé the pieces in butter with salt and pepper for a saporous side dish . See for yourself if you may discover the elusive huitre flavor . Or perhaps you will notice an artichoke taste when you dig in .
In terms of nutritional note value , Tragopogon porrifolius is a superfood . Like a banana , salsify is rich in atomic number 19 , so it ’s good for your muscles and bones . Salsify is also an excellent source of dietetic fibre . The build of this base harvest contains inulin , a form of natural insulin and a prebiotic that appears to provide some protection against cancer .
Now that you ’ve met these often - overlooked vegetables , I hope you will want to try kohlrabi and salsify or even plant them in your own garden . For those who need to sample them , a digital or in - person search at local foodstuff stores should yield some results for these typical newbies to your upcoming repast . For enthusiastic growers , an on-line search will facilitate you settle reliable sources of these seeds . For oyster plant , you’re able to visit Monticello ’s online store to look for heirloom seed packet .
Special thanks to Patricia Brodowski , lead vegetable gardener at Monticello , for her expertise and supporting of entropy in this clause .
SOURCES :
book
The Random House Book of Vegetables ( Roger Phillips & Martyn Rix , 1994 ) ( covers more than 650 eccentric of vegetable from around the globe , all of which can be grown in the U.S. ; provides descriptions of vegetables , finish crest , and where to get cum ) .
strange Vegetables : Something fresh for this twelvemonth ’s Garden(Ann Halpin , Rodale Press , 1978 ) ( includes pictures and descriptions of rare vegetables to examine in your own garden )
Resources for Kohlrabi
“ Cole Crops or Brassicas , ” Va. Coop . Ext . Pub . No . 426 - 403,Va . Coop . Ext . Pub . 426 - 403
“ Kohlrabi,”Plant Village . Penn State Univ .
“ Growing Kohlrabi in Home Gardens,”Univ . of Minn. Extension .
“ Kohlrabi,”Cornell Univ . Coop . annex
“ Brassica oleracea(Gongylodes Group),”North Carolina State Univ . Extension Gardener/ Plant Toolbox
“ Brassica oleracea(Gongylodes Group),”Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
“ Ten Surprising Benefits of Kohlrabi,”https://www.organicfacts.net / health - benefit / veggie / wellness - benefits - of - kohlrabi.html
Kohlrabi Slaw Recipe , Univ . of Delaware Coop . telephone extension / nutrition
Resources for Salsify
Salsify Plant Profile : Tragopogon porrifolius , USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
“ Salsify , ” Home Gardening Series , University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
“ How to spring up Salsify,”Guide to Growing Salsify from Allotment and Gardens
“ Salsify , the Forgotten Colonial Vegetable,”Illinois Newspaper Project , University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaigne
“ vegetable oyster : The Superfood You Have n’t hear of Yet,”One Green Planet Foods and Recipes
“ What is Salsify?”allrecipes.com(how to ready Tragopogon porrifolius , plus connection to recipes )
