Heirloom Vegetables
Source of Recipe
Grandpoohbah
Heirloom vegetables are enjoying a renaissance with dedicated gardeners and food
fanatics. What is an heirloom vegetable? No, it's not a carrot that's been stowed in
your grandmother's attic. Heirlooms are old varieties of vegetables that have survived
through decades, or even centuries.
Tastes Like . . . a Tomato!
Heirloom vegetables are the antithesis of the commercially farmed hybrid vegetables
you find in the grocery store. Most produce that is farmed on a large scale has been
bred to be the same color, shape, and size, as well as firm enough to stand up to
mechanized picking and shipping. Unfortunately, these commercial vegetables have
often had all of their flavor and texture bred right out of them at the same time. The
trend that has been passionately nudging heirloom vegetables back into the spotlight
is a trend towards rediscovering the beauty of variety and the rapture of flavorful
produce. Just try to imagine, if you dare, a tomato that tastes like a tomato!
You Say Tomato, I Say Brandywine
Another characteristic of heirloom vegetables is that they generally can be grown
from seeds, and the resulting plant will be identical to the parent plant that produced
the seed. This means you can grow these vegetables at home without sophisticated
technology--just a hoe, a hose, and maybe a little fertilizer. Heirloom vegetables
come in a titillating assortment of varieties, from gigantic, bumpy, green and yellow
striped tomatoes to violet snap beans to vivid pink radishes. Apart from their divine
flavors and colors, another endearing attribute of heirloom vegetables is their names.
Wouldn't you like to eat a tomato with a name like Brandywine, Crimson Cushion,
or Boxcar Willy? How about beans called Tendergreen Improved, Wren's Egg, or
Black Valentine? And radishes? Try the White Icicle, Brightest Breakfast, or the
Cherry Belle!
Are you salivating yet? You should be able to find heirloom vegetables at a farmers'
market near you. In the meantime, you can start planning your heirloom vegetable
garden for next year by flipping through a seed catalog. Some of the most common
heirloom vegetables are tomatoes, beans, corn, peppers, radishes, cabbage, carrots,
cucumbers, and squash.
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