Are you growing any ugly vegetables this year?

Dominica

Hi Dominica, I am going to try Celeriac this year (picked some up at Sprouts that was beginning to sprout) probably the "ugliest" vegetables I grew this year was Horseradish and Sunchoke.

Jens the Beekeeper

No ugly ones this year. Love celeriac but it is Not willing to grow that good with me.

i grew salsify some years ago and really love them.

Tried burdock some time ago,you can eat the root like salsify and it is really ugly.

Dominica

Lisa, I’m going to have to try sunchokes! I was just reading about them. Did you like the flavor? I read it was like a nutty potato.

Dominica

Jens, did you like burdock when you tried it? I’ve heard of it, but never tasted it.

MikeF

We are growing sunchokes this year. The plant/flowers are actually fairly attractive. It looks like a giant messy patch of sunflowers.

They are a little invasive. So don't plant them in a bed you want to use for something else in the future.

I'll know about the flavor in a couple of months.


M

StacyLou

I really like burdock! It pairs well with carrots in a stir-fry. Burdock also goes by the name of Gobo. There are some good recipes online for it. It works best when you cut it up into little matchstick size pieces. I haven’t made it in awhile because I’m staying away from soy. I should try it with Coconut Aminos (a good substitute for soy - just sweeter).

It is fall, so it’s the perfect time to harvest it! You’ll want to dig up the roots that are in their first year of growth. Burdock is a biennial that flowers and goes to seed in the second year. These roots are way too tough. If you find a patch that has the obvious burrs, look for the smaller plants without the flowering stalks and those are the ones you want to dig up! You can also dig it up in the spring, if you know where to find it.

Dominica

Thanks, Lisa K! I love the taste of artichokes. Adding it to my must-grow list. ?

Dominica

Thanks, Lisa K. Salsify definitely surprised me because I didn't expect to taste as good as it does! :-)