Chinese celery is an aromatic plant with a strong, peppery flavor, thin, hollow, crisp stems, and delicate leaves. It is smaller than Western celery and is often used in soups, stir-fries, and other dishes for its potent taste, which becomes milder when cooked. Also known as kintsai or leaf celery, it is commonly used in Asian cuisines. 

Appearance: It features long, narrow, hollow stems that can be white to dark green, or even pink depending on the variety. The leaves are delicate and wispy.

Flavor: It has a pungent and peppery flavor that is more intense than standard celery. The taste softens and sweetens when cooked.

Usage: It is rarely eaten raw and is primarily used for flavoring in cooked dishes. It is excellent in stir-fries, soups, and fried rice. Both the stems and leaves are edible.

Growing: Chinese celery is often easier to grow than its Western counterparts and can be cultivated in smaller spaces like pots. It is typically grown as an annual, though it is technically a biennial. 

Kintsai Chinese Yellow Stem Celery, Boly, Cutting Celery, Nan Ling, Gin Cai, Kun Choy, Kan Tsoi

Meaty and thick, golden-orange skin with a mild flavor. A great choice for its low acidity and high Vitamin C content.

History: The Golden Jubilee was first introduced in 1943 by the W. Atlee Burpee & Co. which was established in 1876. After almost 150 years Burpee continues and has grown into a very large organization. Golden Jubilee is sweet, mild and meaty. Its mild flavor pairs well with other ingredients and it holds its orange color when cooked. An All American Selections winner in 1943.

Open-pollinated (80 days)

Plant Habit: Indeterminate.  Plant Size: 6’.  Fruit Color: Orange.  Shape: Globe.  Size: 6-8 oz. 30 seeds 

A medium  to early variety. The hearts are round, medium-sized and compact. the sheaths are thick, fleshy and entirely  white with very little fibre. They are crunchy and tender white  with  a  sweet, aromatic flavour. SOWING: can be sown  in several stages from july until the beginning September for harvesting from November until February. 

Fennel is easy to grow. They prefer full sun and a well drained soil. They will do best in rich soils.Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week. Add a general purpose fertilizer once or twice a season. While classified as a herb, Fennel is a popular European vegetable too. Native to Mediterranean region, the bulbous base and stalk is popular eaten raw like celery, cooked, or boiled. Closely related to Parsley, Fennel is popular in Italian and other Mediterranean recipes. Also called Florence Fennel or Finuccio, it is easy to grow and very hardy, lasting well after the first frost. With bright green, fern-like leaves and aromatic yellow flowers, this plant will grow three to four feet tall. Plant it in the back of the herb garden or in your vegetable garden. Foliage and seeds have an anise-like flavor.

Traditional Italian herb with a wonderful anise taste. Romanesco Fennel is also called Roman or Florence Fennel. Very sweet and aromatic late maturing variety produces a large head with thick white tightly wrapped stalks.

Florence fennel or Finocchio

Perhaps the most indulgent vegetable to start off at this time of year is Florence fennel, otherwise known as finocchio or, more commonly, bulb fennel. The handsome feathery foliage of this crop is matched only by its exquisite aniseed flavour that makes a fine pairing with fish (try baking parcels of mackerel with slices of fennel and lemon for a sublime dinner). But fennel has more strings to its bow than this – pop chunks into a stew to freshen things up, or finely slice a bulb over a garden-gathered salad using a chef’s mandolin. The leaves can be used in place of herb fennel.

Bulb fennel is perhaps a slightly misleading name, as the ‘bulb’ is in fact the swollen stem base of the plant. But this is nitpicking as all you really need to know is that this is a vegetable to luxuriate in – a gourmet kitchen gardener’s treat!

Late variety, very productive, also known as broccoli or top of turnip

It is a type of turnip whose inflorescences and the tender part of the stem with the leaves are used

The plants are cut 5-10 cm from the ground so that it can drive other numerous axillary jets from the base of the stem

Sowing: from September to the end of October in rows 30 cm apart

Harvest: about 120 days from sowing

Diamond Eggplant is a high-yielding, Ukrainian heirloom variety known for its slender, dark purple, 6-8 inch long fruits that grow in clusters. It's an early-maturing, open-pollinated plant with excellent disease resistance, making it suitable for climates with short, cool, or northern growing seasons. The firm, non-bitter, and sweet flesh is versatile for grilling, roasting, and other culinary uses.  

Yield: High-yielding and prolific, producing a steady stream of fruits. 

Fruit: Slender, dark purple, and oblong, typically 6-8 inches long and smooth-skinned. 

Flavor: Firm flesh with a sweet flavor and no bitterness. 

Maturity: Early maturing, making it well-suited for regions with short growing seasons. 

Plant: Reaches about 2 feet in height and is known for good disease resistance and overall hardiness. 

Smokey (or Bronze) fennel is an ornamental herb known for its fine, feathery foliage that transitions from coppery rose to deep bronzy-purple, giving it a "smoky" appearance. It has an anise or licorice flavor, making its leaves and seeds valuable for seasoning seafood, salads, and vegetables, as well as for making tea. Growing up to five feet tall, it produces yellow flower umbels that attract butterflies and beneficial insects, adding both culinary and ecological value to gardens.  

Variety of the coriander plant (Coriandrum sativum) known for its compact size, suitable for container growing.

The herb is a popular ingredient in many Asian and Latin American dishes, adding a distinct, fresh flavor.  

Uses: The leaves can be used fresh in salads or cooked in dishes like stir-fries. If the plant is allowed to bolt, its seeds can be harvested as a spice. 

Wansoy is the Filipino name for cilantro, also known as coriander leaves, a vibrant green herb recognized for its delicate, lacy leaves and slender stems. It has an intensely fresh, pungent aroma and a bright, citrusy flavor with subtle peppery notes, though some people perceive a soapy taste due to genetic sensitivity. A staple in many global cuisines—including Latin American, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian cooking—wansoy is commonly used to add a zesty, refreshing finish to salsas, curries, soups, salads, and noodle dishes. Both the leaves and tender stems are used for their fresh flavor, while the plant’s seeds, known as coriander, provide a warm, mildly spicy taste. Often compared in appearance to flat-leaf parsley but with a softer texture, wansoy is also widely known as cilantro, coriander, or Chinese parsley.

The "Grightmire's Pride" tomato is a large, pink, heart-shaped, heirloom paste tomato that is known for its meaty, low-acid, low-seed fruit with a sweet, flavorful taste. It is a prolific and early-maturing, indeterminate variety, originating from Yugoslavia, and is excellent for sandwiches, salads, and sauces. 

Appearance: Large, heart-shaped, pinkish-red fruit.

Flesh: Very meaty, dense, and juicy with few seeds.

Taste: Delicious, sweet, and fragrant.

Acidity: Low-acid, making it a good choice for those with sensitive stomachs.

Plant Type: Indeterminate, prolific grower that is early-maturing.

Uses: Ideal for slicing, salads, sandwiches, and making sauces.

Origin: A variety from Yugoslavia that came to North America via Yugoslavia. 

The Black Beauty tomato is a visually striking heirloom variety known for its nearly black skin, which develops due to high levels of anthocyanin antioxidants. Inside, it has deep red flesh and a rich, savory, smoky, and sweet-tangy flavor that is more complex than traditional tomatoes. These tomatoes are great for slicing, salads, and cooking, and they have a long shelf life, with flavor that can even improve with storage.  

Skin: A deep, almost black-purple color on the top, often with a reddish-burgundy blush on the bottom when fully ripe. 

Flesh: Deep red to raspberry-colored. 

Shape: Typically round and meaty. 

Flavor and texture

Flavor profile: Rich, savory, and smooth, with earthy and smoky notes, and a balanced sweetness and tanginess. 

Texture: Meaty and juicy. 

Growing and harvesting

Growing habit: Indeterminate (vining) plant. 

Sun exposure: The "black" color intensifies with more sun exposure. 

Harvesting: Ripens in the mid to late season (around 80-85 days from transplant) and should be harvested when the shaded base starts to blush. 

Storage: Hangs well on the vine and stores well at room temperature, with its flavor often improving over time. 

Slicing for sandwiches and burgers

Salads

Sauces, roasting, and cooking 

Cuor Di Albenga is an heirloom oxheart tomato from Albenga, Italy, known for its large, meaty, pleated, teardrop-shaped fruits that are typically red or orangey-red. It has a sweet and savory flavor that makes it excellent for both fresh use, such as in salads, and for cooking, especially roasting, sauces, and canning. These plants are indeterminate, vigorous, and productive. 

Origin: From the Ligurian coast town of Albenga in Northern Italy.

Shape: Large, pleated, teardrop or ox-heart shaped.

Size: Fruits are large, often weighing 10–16 ounces (about 200–300g).

Color: Ranges from pinkish to red or orangey-red.

Flesh: Meaty with few seeds and little juice, with a firm and sweet pulp.

Growth: Indeterminate, vigorous, and productive plants that require staking or caging. 

Fresh: Excellent sliced and eaten raw in salads, or used in Caprese salads.

Sauces: Ideal for homemade sauces, pasta dishes, and stews due to its rich, meaty flesh.

Roasting: Roasting brings out its savory richness.

Other: Also suitable for canning and making fresh juice.