Unique Vegetables

1. Fruit & pods Okra Ground berries Tomatilla, strawberry tomato, cape gooseberry Roots & stems Kohlrabi Celeriac Fennel Unique Vegetables

2. What makes a vegetable unique? • Not widely grown by gardeners • Why? • Part of a specific cuisine • Okra – _________ cuisine • Fennel – Italian cuisine • ____________ – Mexican cuisine • Difficult to grow • Okra – ____________ seed & hot temperatures • Celeriac – even soil moisture • Unusual or acquired taste • Strawberry ___________ • __________ ___________

3. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) • Originated near present day __________ • Okra means “lady’s fingers” in Igbo • Introduced into New World directly from _______ • Same botanical family as ______ and _______ • Seed must be ________ overnight before planting and seed do not germinate well in cool soils

4. Okra • Okra is among the most _______- and _______-tolerant vegetable • Harvest pods when very young before they get ________ • Pods grow very rapidly so requires frequent harvesting

5. Okra • Uses • Stir-fried in Japanese cuisine • Thickening agent in ______, chilli, and soups • ____________ properties • ________ and deep fried • Pickled

6. Ground cherry or husk tomato (Physalis) • Origin in ______________ • Ancient Native Americas preferred Physalis species more than tomatoes • Are in a genus related to tomato • They product abundant small fruit that are surrounded by a ________ covering like a gift • _________ season vegetables • Examples • Tomatillo, strawberry tomato, Cape gooseberry

7. Tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa) • Are native to ________ • Very popular ingredient in ________ foods, especially in the form of sauces • Salsa ________ (green sauce) • Growing practices similar to tomato • Transplanted • Seed only lasts __ years

8. Tomatillo • Harvested when full size, has a firm consistency, and apex of _____ begins to break • Preparation • Raw in salsa • ________ for sauces • _________ enhances flavor and softens skin • _________ can cause soupy consistency because fruit collapses Young tomatillo Mature tomatillo Salsa verde

9. Strawberry tomato (Physalis pubescens) • Is the _______ form that is not widely grown • _________ germinates and grows • Around July the fruit will begin to drop to the ground and should be gathered • When ripe has a ______ flavor similar to that of a strawberry or tomato/pineapple

10. Strawberry tomato • Will _________ to ripen after harvest • Fully mature fruit are soft and sweet • Can be stored in the refrigerator for several months • Uses • Salad • Desserts • Dipped in ________ • Flavoring • Jellies and jams

11. Cape GooseberryPhysalis peruviana • Has superior fruit compared to strawberry tomato • Native to _______ and _______ and more commonly grown in warmer climates • Does not tolerate ______ or wet soils • Grown from seed

12. Cape Gooseberry • Harvesting • Fruit takes ___ to ___ days to mature • Can ____ plant and gather fallen fruit • A plant can produce 300 fruit • Are ________ before using or storing • Uses • Canned, jam, sauces, pies, puddings,chutneys, & fresh

13. Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) • Originated in northern ______ in 15th century • Flavor similar to ______ but milder & sweeter • Same species as ________

14. Kohlrabi • Cool season vegetable but tolerates _____ better than most others in cabbage family • Stem remains short and swells forming an edible _______ • _______ – two colors • White or pale green • Purple – only skin, interior flesh is white

15. Kohlrabi • What is a _______?

16. Kohlrabi • A solid, fleshy storage structure formed by enlargement of the ______ base • Fast growing • Matures in 40 to 70 days • Harvesting • Best harvested when young up to the size of a _________ _________ • Avoid large kohlrabi because of coarse flavor • Peeled before cooking because of most of fibers are in the ___________ skin

17. Kohlrabi Uses • Peel, slice, and eat raw like a radish • Kohlrabi slaw • Core the kohlrabi and stuff • Stir fried kohlrabi • Kohlrabi soup

18. Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum) • Is enlarged, crown-level _________ • Used when 10-12 cm diameter • Also called celery root or turnip-rooted celery • _______ season crop • Requires abundant soil _________ for seed germination & growth • Difficult to supply in a garden

19. Celeriac • Best to ________ before use because _______ _______ is tough and stringy • Has a celery-like flavor • Uses • Flavoring in soups and stews • Mashed • Casseroles and baked dishes

20. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) • Also called finocchio or Florence fennel • Native to southern ______ and southwest _________ • Used by ancient Romans for medicinal properties • Has inflated leaf ______ which form a ____ that is eaten as a vegetable • Has mild anise (______)-like flavor • Caused by anethole

21. Fennel • Perennial plant in the ________ family • Has a tendency to ______ which causes bulb to split & formation of side ________ • Started from seed and encouraged to grow rapidly • Takes ___ to ___ months to produce swollen leaf bases

22. Fennel • Fennel does not do well in ________ soils • How improve soil? • High quality bulbs should be: • ______, white, _____, whole • Minimum diameter 5 cm

23. Fennel • Uses • Fresh in salads balancing sweetness with sharpness of onion • Fish with fennel • Braised fennel • Fennel with chicken or meat balls