\nHmmm\u2026it’s looked so cool, but somehow, just didn’t’ deliver taste-wise. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<\/div>\n
\nWhen ordering seeds in mid-winter, I must admit that I often order based on the photo – the color and form (that nasty designer gene in me) before taste. Interesting often trumps taste, unless of course, I have either tasted it, or if the description inspires me to try it, but more often than not, descriptions are written about ease of growth, or describes cultural methods rather than taste. I have no problem choosing a gorgeous striped tomato or a creepy, warty winter squash simply because it looks cool, but when I read about how a squash or tomato can taste? My inner foodie dominates my decision.<\/div>\n
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\n\n\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nVegetable seedlings wait to be planted in front of my greenhouse. A cooler-than-average spring, has allowed my to wait a few weeks before I need to set tender plants out into the garden.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<\/div>\n
\nYou’ve probably experienced this too – when presented with that incredible spread of winter squashes in the Baker Creek catalog, the choices are almost paralyzing – those colors, those forms, the decorative value or the intriguing backstory? What do I choose? This weekend, David’s words have convinced me that Potimarron could very well be the perfect choice for me, as it has both beauty ( It’s also known as Red Kuri), and a backstory – one which includes a long culinary history in both Japan and France where it is cherished by chefs for its chestnut -like flavor (marron). I will still grow my favorite – Buttercup, Blue Hubbard and Butternut, but Poti-marron has been added to the back garden.<\/div>\n
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\n\n\nGrowing ones own food should be more about the flavor and the total experience, than it should be about saving the world. The Farm-to-Table movement is great, but few of us could ever do it right. I’m learning how to appreciate the more subtle nuances ( or not so subtle), when it comes to home vegetable gardening.<\/div>\n
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\nWhich reminds me that space is an issue. Still, I want to know what chefs think are the very tastiest dried bean for Cassoulet, or what Parsnip tastes the best. I encourage more chefs to write books about vegetable gardening. Even better? Why not moonlight and write some seed catalogs!<\/div>\n
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\n\n\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nHeirloom Lima Beans, that I started under glass because of their long growing season, are ready to plant in a prepared bed with compost, manure and lime.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<\/div>\n
\nI am off on this journey this year – to grow better, tastier and more difficult to find vegetables and fruit rather than worry about organic ( I am, but still\u2026that’s not why I garden), more tasty, and more extraordinary crops. And the timing could not be better, as it is not too late for me to order some new roots ( I was able to find some Crosne tubers ( did you know that it is actually a Stachys species?) available from an eBay ad in Canada ( they are sold out so I won’t list it) , and seeds for the now infamous 8 row dent corn from a grower in the UK, so although it is almost too late to sow corn, ( just in time, really), I am going to take a chance, for around here, May 5th is the old Farmers Almanac date for planting corn, last years green dent corn was sown June first, and I was able to pick about a bushel.<\/div>\n
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\nWant to find out more? Then why not register for the Sakonnet Garden Symposium? I hope to share these guilty pleasures and more secrets from my veg garden, or shall I say ” my legume vari\u00e9t\u00e9s anciennes.?<\/p>\n
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Farm to Table? How about: Garden-to-kitchen-to-table. A more realistic, tastier and achievable approach. This past weekend, I’ve become more than a little obsessed with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
How Chef's David Lebovitz and Dan Barber Changed How I Think About My Veg Garden - Growing With Plants<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n