Artichokes or "chokes" as they are commonly called, are a member of the thistle family. Artichokes are considered a sensuous vegetable, and the vegetable of the gods. It is believed to be loved by the Greek god Zeus. It is also a favorite of aristocrats and affluent members of society, dating back thousands of years.

The Artichokes we eat are the immature flower bud of the artichoke plant. This tender, young bud is called the "Artichoke heart". Artichoke hearts can be eaten raw or cooked. They are most often steamed. The heart, or center of the bud, is eaten along with small, tender outer leaves. The stem is also edible, and best cut an inch or so below the bud.

Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family, and is closely related to cauliflower. Its cultivation originated in Italy. Broccolo, its Italian name, means "cabbage sprout." Because of its different components, broccoli provides a range of tastes and textures, from soft and flowery (the floret) to fibrous and crunchy (the stem and stalk). Do not let the smell of the sulfur compounds that are released while cooking keep you away from this highly nutritious vegetable.

Carrots come in orange (by far the most common), purple and red varieties. They vary from long tapers to small round balls.

Selection: Choose crisp, firm, small to medium carrots. Dark orange carrots have more vitamin A.

Storage and handling: Refrigerate in produce drawer for up to 2 weeks. Remove any greens attached to the carrots before storing. Before eating, wash in a bowl of cold water and scrub with a vegetable brush if not peeling.

Preparation: Trim stem end and any dangling roots. Peel if desired and cut or shred. Steam sliced carrots in a basket over boiling water, covered, 10-12 minutes. Boil sliced carrots, covered, in a small amount of water, 8-10 minutes. Roast with other vegetables (SIS, p. 251). Microwave a pound of carrots, cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths, in a covered dish with 2 tablespoons liquid, 7-8 minutes.

Serving suggestions: Eat raw carrot sticks plain, or slice or shred for slaws or salads (SIS, p. 246). Top cooked carrots with olive oil and herbs, butter, honey, or brown sugar. Cook and mash with potatoes. Add shredded carrots to sauces and baked goods (SIS, p. 274).

Nutrients: Vitamins A, C, K; potassium; alpha- and beta-carotene antioxidants; fiber.

Collards are various loose-leafed cultivars of Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group), the same species that produces cabbage and broccoli. The plant is grown for its large, dark-colored, edible leaves and as a garden ornamental, mainly in Brazil, Portugal, the Southern United States, many parts of Africa, Montenegro, Spain and in Kashmir. They are classified in the same cultivar group as kale and spring greens, to which they are extremely similar genetically.

The plant is also called couve in Brazil, couve-galega in Portugal, (col) berza in Spanish-speaking countries and Raštan in Montenegro. In Kashmiri it is called haak. The name collard is said to derive from Anglo-Saxon coleworts or colewyrts ("cabbage plants").

This deliciously sweet bi-color corn is as pretty on the table as it is on the stalk. Nice mix of white and yellow kernels. Plant in double rows to achieve optimum pollination.

115 days. Cucumis melo. Plant produces heavy yields of 10 lb green pear shaped melons that matures to yellow. It has a salmon-pink flesh that has superb flavor. Best when grown in warmer regions. pk/20

Crenshaw Melon seed is a hybrid, Crenshaw melon with a great taste and brix up to 17%. Lilly is a classic Crenshaw melon with a fruit weight of 6-8 lbs.

Many types of cucumbers, either for pickling or slicing, have gained popularity in home gardens over the years. The main consideration for cucumbers is real estate, as they require substantial amounts of space to thrive. Those working in smaller spaces should consider training vines onto vertical structures to increase the growing surface of the garden. They can also be grown in containers, a good option for residential farmers The cucumber ranges in size from the small gherkin type to the long, thin, slicing variety. There are also yellow and fruited varieties. A gardener has a great number of options when selecting what type of cucumbers to include in the vegetable patch.

Cucumbers are a subtropical crop, requiring long warm days, plenty of sunshine and balmy nights. Many new cultivars have been bred to produce shorter growing seasons, making them ideal for cooler climates. Cucumbers thrive best at relatively high temperatures, 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit being the ideal temperature range. The plants will die in frost conditions. Since it can grow quickly, it must be well supplied with moisture and plant nutrient elements throughout the growing season.

Cucumbers can flourish successfully in many types of soils. The preferred soil is loose, sufficiently drained and adequately supplied with organic matter and plant nutrients. Work in organic matter such as well-rotted manure or compost before planting. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.

Lime and fertilizers are best applied using soil test results as a guide. Over-fertilization interferes with the production of the fruit.

Narrow finger-shaped potatoes called "fingerlings" are used for roasting, boiling, baking and salads. See specific variety for best use. Many of these potatoes are heritage varieties. Depending on who is defining "heritage" that normally means the variety is 50 - 100 years old.

The red onion is essential. It provides balance, and a sweet kick. It’s a matter of how much you use, but I go with about a handful of finely diced red onions and chuck them into the bowl.

I also keep a mound of additional diced red onions for taste adjustment at the end of the process, if needed.

Walla Walla Onion, Allium cepa 'Walla Walla', is a large, sweet Spanish onion with light-brown skin and mild white flesh. Famous for its sweet flavor in fresh eating. Very cold hardy, it can be directly sown in mid-spring. 'Walla Walla' is perhaps the most popular sweet onion with a nice mild, sweet flavor and non-pungent aroma. Some people eat them like apples. Walla Walla

grows to 4 inches across. Onions are a hardy biennial grown as annuals. Leaves and flower stalks are hollow and bases swell to form a bulb. Walla Walla is a long day onion. “Long day” type onions, which need 13-16 hours of daylight, do best in the North; “Short day” types do best in the South. “Day-neutral”

types grow well anywhere."

Dried peas were among the essentials needed by people preparing to sail to the American colonies. They were nutritious, would keep indefinitely and required little storage space on the ship. When English colonists arrived in America, peas were one of the first crops to be planted. A 1635 list of supplies required for one colonist for one year included “one bushell of Pease.”

It was fairly late in the 17th century that Europeans started eating peas fresh. They were a delicacy and became very fashionable. Lots of breeding has been done on peas, so there are now many different kinds with different characteristics.

Watermelon Crimson Sweet

A beautiful green watermelon with darker green stripes and bright, rosy-red, crispy flesh. Sweet 25lb melons are produced on spreading plants ideal for the home vegetable garden. Plant in mounds in groups of 3 plants, allowing 1 foot between each plant. Perfect for us in fruit salad or eaten on its own. Fertilize with liquid or slow release plant food for best results.

Watermelon Whopper

Bigger, heavier and sweeter! Succulent bright red flesh and a thin, strong, glossy rind. Large Yields. Water well in warm weather and apply liquid or slow release fertilizer for best results.

Zucchini is a member of the the squash and pumpkin (or cucurbita) family of vegetables. It is perhaps the best known, and most joked about of the many varieties of squash. Zucchini is indeed a prolific producer. A couple of plants in the garden, and you have plenty for family, neighbors, and friends. By mid-summer, you can't give zucchini away, as everyone has two or three in their refrigerators. Along with being a prolific producer, zucchini also readily cross breeds with many members of the cucurbita family, including pumpkins. Some very strange and interesting cross breeds (Mutations!) can result in future crops if you save the seed.

There are literally hundreds of recipes of zucchini. Enjoy them in generous quantities in the summer, as they are not good keepers. When the gardening season is over, they are gone.