Step beyond the common garden staples and explore a world of unique vegetables that bring exciting flavor , colouration , and textures to your plate . Here are 20 strange veggies to grow and enjoy !
Oca
With its tangy , lemony taste , oca offers a refreshing tress to your dishes . Originating from the Andes , this tuber comes in various colors , adding optical entreaty . Plant them in well - drain grease and enjoy their low - maintenance nature . Harvesting is like unearth hidden treasure , as they multiply beneath the grime . Pair them with herbs for delicious salad .
Cucamelon
Resembling miniature watermelons , cucamelons pile a cucumber flavor with a citrus plait . These grape - sized fruits expand on treillage , making them place - effective for lowly gardens . Easy to grow , they are staring for snacking or pickling . Their vines provide lush greenery , turning your garden into a vibrant haven .
Salsify
Known as the “ oyster plant life , ” salsify boasts a subtle seafood flavor . Its long , slender root are well grown in flaxen loam grime . Patience pays off as they take several months to mature . Once ready , they offer a various summation to soups and stews , enriching your culinary innovation with a unique taste .
Romanesco
This visually stunning vegetable captivates with its spiral shape , resemble a piece of artwork . Romanesco is a delightful crossbreed between Brassica oleracea italica and cauliflower , offering a batty flavour . Its intricate design makes it a centrepiece in dish , and it ’s rich in nutrient . civilize it command a bit of solitaire but rewards with a culinary chef-d’oeuvre .
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi surprise with its crispy texture and mild , sweet smack . Resembling a white turnip , it ’s versatile in coleslaw and fuss - fries . This bulbous veggie grows above ground , make water it easy to supervise its progression . Thriving in cool temperatures , turnip cabbage is an excellent pick for extending the gardening season into pin .
Celeriac
Celeriac , or Apium graveolens dulce radical , offers a nutty , celery - like tone , perfect for mashes and soups . Despite its rough outside , the inside is creamy and redolent . Growing it need forbearance , as it hire several months to mature . However , its ability to lay in for long periods progress to it a valuable addition to your winter larder .
Cardoon
A congeneric of the artichoke plant , Cynara cardunculus showcases large , silvery leaves and edible stalks . Its slightly acid taste adds depth to dishes . get cardoon demands space and sunlight , do it a affirmation plant life in garden . Blanching the stalks before harvest time mellows the bitterness , bring out a tender , delicious veg .
Mizuna
Mizuna ’s peppery beef enlivens salads and stir - Roger Eliot Fry . This Nipponese mustard green is noted for its frilly leaf and rapid growth . It ’s a blessing for gardeners seeking quick result . Plant it in succession for uninterrupted harvests . Mizuna ’s resiliency to cuss makes it a dependable option for organic growers .
Skirret
Skirret offers sweetness consanguine to parsnip , but with a more delicate feeling . This perennial beginning veggie can be a bit catchy to raise , call for rich , loose soil for optimum development . Patience is life-sustaining , as it matures slowly over the growing season . Once harvested , skirret add together a unequalled sweetness to roast and stews .
Walking Onion
Named for their unique propagation method acting , walk onions “ walk ” across the garden as bulbils form . These audacious plant are nigh maintenance - free once prove . Their small onion , strong in flavor , are perfect for fix . The quirky ontogeny riding habit adds a impulsive touch , making them a conversation appetizer .
Tatsoi
Tatsoi , with its spoonful - forge foliage , offer a mild Indian mustard flavor that ’s a clean addition to salads . agile to grow , it ’s a darling for continuous harvests . This Asiatic green thrives in cooler temperatures , control a supply of greens in the fall and wintertime . Its compact emergence work it ideal for little space .
Hamburg Parsley
Hamburg parsley bring home the bacon a twofold benefit : edible roots and flavorful leave . Resembling parsnips , the roots add mellowness to soups and stews . They ’re well harvest after frost for enhanced sweetness . The leafy crown , blood-related to even parsley , make a fragrant garnish . This dual - intention plant enriches both savor and kind .
Purple Yam
Known for its vivacious hue , majestic yam is a feast for the center and palate . Its sweet , nutty taste works beautifully in sweet and zesty dishes alike . Growing it demands a lovesome climate , solitaire , and a moment of blank for its sprawl vines . harvest these tubers is rewarding , providing a bounteousness of color and flavor .
Malabar Spinach
Malabar Spinacia oleracea withstand the average with its climbing habit and succulent leaves . It thrives in affectionate climates , offer a perennial alternative to even Spinacia oleracea . The lustrous , heart - shaped leaves are productive in vitamin and perfect for salads and stir - tyke . Its vigorous development provides abundant harvests throughout the season .
Crosne
With a compaction reminiscent of water chestnuts , crosne tot up texture to dishes . rise from Asia , these small tubers thrive in open , well - run out soil . They ’re a nurseryman ’s delectation due to minimum pest issues . Harvest them before the ground freezes for a sharp addition to wintertime meals , enhancing salad and sautés .
Sea Kale
Sea kale give up a hint of the ocean with its piquant undertones . This perennial thrives in coastal areas , withstanding idle words and salt spray . Its blanched shoots are tender and sweet , similar to edible asparagus . ocean kale ’s resilience and unequaled savour profile make it a standout in garden near the sea .
Chayote
Chayote ’s mild flavor and versatility make it a kitchen staple fibre in many cultures . This vigorous climber needs keep but reward with abundant harvests . Both the fruit and shoot are edible , offering a crisp texture cognate to summertime squash rackets . Its adaptability to various climates clear it a worthwhile increase to garden .
Mashua
Mashua , with its peppery taste , is a staple fibre in Andean cuisine . This climbing plant thrives in cool , cragged regions . Its vibrant tubers add both color and spice to mantrap . Growing mashua is straightforward , requiring a trellis for musical accompaniment . Its flowers attract pollinators , heighten garden biodiversity .
Yacon
Offering a sweet-scented , juicy crunch , yacon is a delightful addition to fruit salad . This South American root looks like a sweet Irish potato but tastes like an apple . Growing it need copious sun and well - drained grunge . Yacon ’s tuber are harvested after frost , provide a refreshing treat that stores well for month .
Celtuce
Celtuce aggregate the crispness of lettuce with the nutty flavor of celery . Its stem is the highlight , bestow crunch to salads and stir - tyke . This unique vegetable develop quick and thrives in cool atmospheric condition . Harvest the stem when they ’re warm for the serious taste . It ’s a conversation starter , introducing diners to something new .


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