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jeninthegarden · 3 years

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Seed List 2021

I want them NOW.

The seed catalogues, the “garden porn”, has begun to arrive. I always have to complete my review of the prior year before I can begin to think about what I want to plant this year. I get interested in different cultivars from season to season; I swear off some, fixate on others, swear off some and then buy lots of seeds anyway because they are inexpensive or just include really pretty pictures, discover some new hybrids that I just have to try, succeed gloriously and re-order the same. But first, there is the momentous decision of whether to order seeds or just order the plants, or hedge my bets and order both, or risk it and order neither in hopes of picking it up locally. And then there are the plants other than vegetables. Since I am now a member of the pollinator pathway and a 3rd year bee-keeper, there are native, blooming plants to be considered, and some non-native, invasive plants that have to be dug out and replaced with something. I also have an orchard, and although I’m full up on fruit trees and berries, there is a lot of space in the fenced, groundhog-proofed orchard that needs companion planting or temporary cultivation. We completed our great hugel – more space for planting native species and anything the deer don’t eat (asparagus, artichokes..). And the lavender patch is thriving, not just with lavender but wildflowers, some of which are perennial and need to be relocated. Now we are contemplating not one, but two rain gardens, one in the front yard and one in the back yard.

The following seed list is comprised of just the edibles I am ordering. For full disclosure, I’ve added the list of seeds I still have in inventory from the past few years. Not all of those seeds will be viable but I’m going to be germinating them because I have extra space. The perennials, herbs, flowers, shrubs, trees, natives, exotics, hardscaping, bee-keeping and chicken-keeping are all detailed in my garden review. Not here.

Beans were a bust, so my fixation has not been fixed! And, as usual when I am thwarted by the elements, I double-down. I’m totally over the squash and gourd bonanza, except that I saved seeds from all the squash I successfully grew, so now I am stuck with the dilemma of either giving the seeds away or planting them. I’m disappointed in the potato crop but the Japanese Yams were soooo delicious I’m going to try those again, and a couple other varieties that are just click-bait. Super aggravated that none of the brassica flourished – doubling down. And tired of waiting for fruiting, so I invested in some quirky, fast-maturing varieties and paid particular attention to standard varieties advertised for abundance and temperature range tolerance.

I was surprised and worried to note, however, that some variety of seeds have already sold out, in January! So, I panicked and ordered somewhat hurriedly, from multiple seed companies, some staples, repeats and favorites. And then, in a more leisurely but not more methodical fashion, ordered everything else.

Legumes:

Peas – The pea crop was lousy last year! And I used all my saved seeds trying for a fall crop, that failed. So, back to the drawing board. Going by the descriptions, I ordered “Easy Peasy” from Burpee (11 peas per pod/2 pods per node -200 seeds) and “Maestro” (9 peas per pod, multiple pickings – 150 seeds). I think I’ve ordered both of these in the past and was satisfied. I also ordered “Alaska Early” (Extra early, 6 peas per pod, multiple pickings – 300 seeds) from Terratorial Seeds and “Knight Pea” (Extra early, 10 peas per pod – 150 seeds) from Pinetree.

Snap Peas: For my first ever attempt at sugar snap peas (no shelling required – but not as thin as snow peas), I ordered “Sugar Magnolia” snap peas from Pinetree Seeds, which have violet pods, and “Sugar Lace II”, the semi-leafless and prolific snap pea.

Runner beans: Last year I ordered Territorial Seeds “Scarlet Emperor” with red blossoms, and Pinetree Seeds “Painted Lady” with red and white blossoms, “Sunset” with pale pink blossoms. And Park Seeds “Stardust”, with white blossoms. I have some of each left in inventory, so this year I am ordering “Black Coat” an ancient heirloom from Pinetree which is a red-blossomed, black bean.

Bush beans: Park Seeds “Velour” which is a proven winner, in sold out already. A compact, bush-habit plant, very heavy-bearing bright purple, stringless pods over a long season. I ordered it this time from Territorial Seed “Velour”.

Pole beans-I want to try the Territoral Seeds “Rattlesnake” beans again since the groundhog and the drought got all the ones I planted last year. Pinetree Seeds “Winged Bean” yielded just two pods so I saved the seeds to try again, but also ordered a fresh pack. I still have a lot of “Violetto” purple pole beans left. They do well climbing cornstalks or sunflowers.

Noodle beans – Never even made it into the ground, so I still have Pinetree Seeds “Red Noodle” and “Mosaic” left over. However, at this point germination is not going to be great.

Soybeans- They are already sold out of Park Seeds “Midori Giant”. So I have ordered their organic “Chiba Green Organic” instead.

Fava beans- Pinetree Seeds “Varoma” was hearty and tasted superb. I made the happy discovery that the stems and blossoms taste as good as the beans. So this is absolutely a spring and fall crop I need to plant a lot more of. I doubled my order. I may also order the bulk, cover crop variety to sew in the fall.

Fruits:

Corn – The “Kandy Korn” from Burpee was delicious, or so say the squirrels! It was a perfect appetizer to all the squash they demolished in the fall. This year I need to regroup on corn. I’m not going to have the space for it for much longer, so seems a shame to give up. I ordered “Blue Jade” a dwarf heirloom sweet corn from Hudson Valley Seeds, to plant in planters on the patio. And I ordered “Dakota Black” popcorn from Territorial Seed to use for the 3 Sisters planting in the orchard. I have grown Dakota Black previously.

Cucumber- Cucumbers didn’t get enough heat last summer. So this time I went with a quick growing slicer variety from Totally Tomatoes called “Green Light”. And a prolific pickling variety “Pick-a-bushel” from Burpee. I have some “Bushy” and “Pickle Bush” (both bush, pickle cucumbers) left, as well as “Marketer” and “Market-More” thin skinned, slicing varieties left over. But I was not impressed with any of these varieties. And then there is “Barese” (from Totally Tomatoes): an “Italian heirloom novelty” that can be eaten young as a traditional cucumber, or allowed to mature into a melon..?

Eggplant – I did so well in the orchard I decided to go with Park Seeds “Black Beauty” large standard, and “Mixed Fingerling” purple, white and green (again). Dan has really perfected his eggplant caponata recipe, and we grill eggplant and stir-fry it, or roast it for babaganoush often enough that we will eat all I can grow. I also have “Hari” (long green of India, but the seeds are several years old), and “Millionaire” (the classic long, purple of Japan, but also several years old) in inventory.

Gourds- I’m done with gourds. We won’t talk about the stack of bushel, bottle, dipper, swan-neck gourds that are rotting on my front porch. No, I said we’re not going to talk about it. The only gourd I want to try again is the Luffa gourd because I still have not grown a single luffa.

Melon- I bought Burpee “Mango Melon” seeds again, for the description of its taste alone because the seeds from last year did germinate but did not produce any fruit. And I also bought “Jenny Lind” heirloom, green melon, and “Sakatas Sweet” a super sweet green with very thin rind, from Pinetree (which is located in Maine, so most of their seed offerings grow well in the Northeast).

Okra – like fava beans, I discovered that the entire okra plant is edible. Leaves can be cooked like collards, and the flowers can be battered and fried like zucchini blossoms. I saved seeds from Pinetree Seeds, giant “Cow Horn” and “Red Burgungy”. I ordered Park Seeds “Rainbow Fiesta” ivory, green and pink okra again because it did not fruit. The “Unicorn” which, although it is eaten like okra, is actually “devil’s claw”, a member of the sesame family and a medicinal herb, also did not germinate. So I bought it again! And then I saw that Territorial Seed had “Simpson”, which is more cold-hardy, and Burpee has “Baby Buda” which is a small, early maturing and cold tolerant variety of okra; so, I ordered those as well.

Pepper – I am trying an interesting experiment of over-wintering my pepper plants that did not fruit their first season. Unfortunately, when I dug them up, I did not label them so, I don’t know if they are hot or sweet. I suspect they are mostly hot. I ordered “Yellow Calwonder” from Totally Tomatoes, a fast growing sweet yellow bell, and “Chablis”, also a fast growing sweet bell that grows from white to orange to red, and “Sheepnose Pimento”, a sweet red cherry pepper, and “Sweet Banana” a long, sweet yellow. Then I got distracted and ordered Pinetree “Tobasco Pepper”. In inventory I have the following hot peppers: Dragon Tongue; Cayenne; Paper Lantern; Habanero; Lemon drop; Chiltepin (fire flea); Portuguese hot red (Portuguese dagger); Early Jalapeno; and Pastilles Bajio. And sweet: Big Red and Corno Di Toro. I promise not to peruse the pepper plant sections of the rest of the incoming seed catalogues. But a member of our local plant swap has a pepper propagating propensity, so I absolutely promise that some of the peppers I am planning to propagate will be proffered in exchange for some of the pepper plants she has propagated!

Tomatoes – Here, COVID fatigue (boredom, tired of waiting) hit me and I started to ask myself why I have to wait until August for ripe tomatoes. Then there was the timely arrival of the seed catalogue from Totally Tomatoes. So I got a little off the rails and ordered “Quedlinburger Fruhe Liebe” that matures in only 40 days! I also ordered “Anna Russian” a red heirloom, “Old German” a yellow striped heirloom, “Black Krim” a purple heirloom, “Independence Day” another very early tomato. And then the Burpee catalogue arrived…They have a 2 lb seedless paste tomato called “Super Paste” and a 3 lb beefsteak called “Steakhouse”, and the bronze colored plum tomato called “Shimmer” I grew a few years ago, and a French beefsteak called “Mama Marmalade” that I’ve been eyeing for a couple years. So I ordered 1 plant of each, except for the Super Paste of which I ordered 30 seeds. I have a lot of seeds left in inventory: Pink Beefsteak; San Marzano; Green Zebra; Big Rainbow; Mr. Stripy; Brandywine; Giant Garden Paste; Mortgage Lifter, Black Russian, Black Seaman and Cherokee Purple.

Watermelon: I chose “Faerie Hybrid” an early maturing (just 60 days), yellow rind with red inside.

Winter Squash and pumpkins: I’m sort of over my fixation, except that I saved a lot of seeds and am still mad about the squirrels eating all my squash and pumpkins. So, although I am not buying any squash or pumpkin seeds, I have the following in inventory: Japanese black pumpkin; Honeyboat; Dumpling; No-ID other than “small winter”; Cheese pumpkin; Queensland Blue pumpkin; Butternut; Honeynut; Spaghetti squash; Giant pumpkin; Jester squash; Cherokee bush pumpkin.

Zucchini- Burpee fordhook heirloom is an excellent staple, but the Burpee’s Sure Thing variety really does well with less sun, and is very resistant to powdery mildew so I’m going with that one because last summer was just not hot enough for zucchini.

Roots:

Beets: Pinetree “Beet Mix”

Carrot: Territorial Seed “Giants of Colmar”, large winter harvest carrots for stew. Park Seed’s “Rainbow Blend” purple-red-orange. Pinetree “Culinary Blend” yellow-white-orange.

Radish: Not interested! So, of course, I ordered some radishes that don’t look like radishes or even have the same growing season as regular radishes: “Minowasa Summer Cross No.3 Diakon” from Territorial Seeds, which looks like a white carrot and grows in the summer.

Potatoes: Pinetree “Pinto Gold”, a medium sized gold potato with violet patches, and “Blackberry” small, jet black potato from Territorial Seed.

Sweet Potatoes: “Japanese Marasaki” from Territorial Seed. Purple skin with white interior that is sweet and pecan nutty, but with a firm, dry texture of a russet potato.

Turnips: “Hinona Kabu Japanese” from Pinetree, these look like pink carrots and are specifically for pickling.

No celeriac, rutabaga, parsnips, radishes, burdock, scorzonera, salsify, milk thistle….until I end up planting them anyway.

Greens:

Arugula: Pinetree Seeds “Astro” quick growing for clipping.

Chard: Pinetree “Peppermint Stick” Swiss chard. I don’t like red or yellow chard because chard is closely related to beets and the red/yellow coloring makes Swiss chard taste like beet greens. I like beet greens but I also like chard that does not taste identical to beet greens. So maybe peppermint stick will be a good, colorful choice that won’t taste too much like beets.

Claytonia: It is a succulent green that looks like a bouquet of little lily pads. Terrirotial Seeds “Miner’s Lettuce”.

Escarole: Burpee “Sugarloaf” This is a very tight-headed, upright variety that looks like a pointy cabbage.

Lettuce: Burpee “Four Seasons Blend”, “Heatwave Blend” and “All Season Romaine Blend”.

Mache: “Marcholong Mache” a super early corn mache from PineTree.

Nettles: “Stinging Nettle” from Hudson Valley Seed Company.

Orach: a violet red, velvet leafed spinach that grows on an 18 inch, upright stalk. Pinetree “Double Rose”.

Spinach: Park Seeds “Space”heat and mildew resistant. “Renegade”a high yielding, weather indifferent variety is sold out! So I ordered “Imperial Star” very cold hardy. And I’m going with “Lakeside”, a failure-proof, everything hardy, spinach from Territorial Seed.

Purslane: Pinetree “Goldberger Purslane”a larger, paler and more succulent variety, with a lovely golden bloom.

“Salad Burnett” a cucumber-tasting salad green from Pinetree

“Saltwort”, a succulent green from Pinetree

“Upland Cress” , a spicy, mountain cress from Pinetree.

Brassica:

Asian Greens: Park Seed “Li Ren Choy” pak choi; Pinetree “Purple Pak Choi” and “Tatsoi Greens” and “Misome”; “Green coin” tatsoi and “Yum Choi Sum” Asian chard, from Territorial Seeds; “Rainbow Tatsoi” and “Komatsuna” tender green, from Hudson Valley Seed Company.

Broccoli: Territorial Seed’s: “Aspabroc” and “Emerald Crown”, I have two rows of winter/spring broccoli mulched with straw in the garden that I am trying to overwinter. And I have plenty of “Homegrown” broccoli mix seed in inventory.

Cabbage: Not a single cabbage succeeded last year. So this year we start earlier and we start fresh. Territorial Seed “Kalibos” a pointy red cabbage, and “Wa Wa Tsai” an early, mini Napa cabbage, Burpee’s “Red Dragon” open leaf, red, napa cabbage. Pinetree’s “Point One” green head super early (48 days) cabbage. I have some “Round Dutch” green cabbage left in inventory.

Cauliflower: Park Seeds “Veronica” which is that weird, green pyramidal Romanesco – Sold Out!, so Pinetree “Romanesco”, and “Snow Crown” - 53 Days to maturity. I have some “Fioretto” open head cauliflower and “Burgundy” purple cauliflower seeds in inventory still.

Collards: I did not order any seeds, yet. I have a row of seedlings mulched with straw that I am trying to overwinter. I have “Champion” collard seeds leftover from several years ago.

Kale: “Portuguese Kale” from Burpee. I have often described it as looking like giant green roses. It tastes more like cabbage than kale. “Amara Ethiopian Kale” (looks like shiny, kohlrabi leaves, and matures in 40 days) and “Kosmic” perennial kale, from Territorial Seed. I have 2 surviving Sea Kale (perennial) seedlings in the orchard. We’ll see if they survive the winter. And “Organic Kale Garden Blend” from Park seeds. I also have a lot of Red Russian Kale seedlings I mulched with straw to see if they will overwinter. And I left some Portuguese Kale standing to see if it will re-sprout (if only to give me some more seed to plant in the fall). I have lots of very old curly blue kale seeds leftover.

And, because they seem to go with the brassicas in planting rotations, the alums:

Leek: Territorial Seeds “Succession Planting” threesome of Zermatt, Tadorna and Bandit (seeds).

Onion: Burpee’s “Sweet mix” for shorter days.

Scallions: Park Seed “Warrior”.

Garlic: I planted garlic in the fall, and it developed green shoots and roots. I mulched it with straw and hope it will sprout in another 6-8 weeks.

#seed list garden zone 5b

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sherristockman · 6 years

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How to Grow Artichokes Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola While the thought of growing artichokes might be intimidating, I assure you that bringing a taste of the Mediterranean to your garden may be easier than you may have imagined. Artichokes are tasty when served fresh from the garden, and they can be successfully grown even in cooler climates. If you've never had the pleasure of dipping steamed artichoke leaves in melted raw, organic grass fed butter, and using your teeth to draw out the tender meat, you don't know what you're missing! When all of the leaves have been savored, a further treasure awaits — the rich, earthy taste of the artichoke heart. Artichokes not only have a taste and texture that is wonderfully unique, but they also contain high amounts of fiber and a myriad of beneficial nutrients, including vitamins C, K and B9 (folate), magnesium and potassium. Artichokes have been shown to help prevent cancer, regulate your blood pressure, promote healthy bowel movements and support your gallbladder, heart and liver. Given their many healthy properties, I encourage you to consider growing artichokes. Interesting Facts About Artichokes Native to the Mediterranean region, artichokes (Cynara scolymus) became scarce with the fall of the Roman Empire. After making a comeback in Italy in the 1500s, artichokes were introduced to the Americas by French and Spanish gardeners. California is the biggest producer of artichokes in the U.S. Other interesting facts about artichokes are:1 Although commonly referred to as a vegetable, artichokes are actually a thistle that is part of the sunflower family Artichokes can be grown as either a perennial or an annual; perennial artichoke plants last up to five years When you let their buds open and flower, artichokes produce striking bluish-purple flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies Types of Artichokes Artichokes come in several varieties, including:2,3 Big Heart: Thornless, slightly purple variety that can handle some heat Green Globe: Heavy-bearing perennial that does best in ideal growing conditions, including California, where it is grown commercially Imperial Star: Adaptable and easy to grow from seed as an annual; recommended for gardeners in cooler climates (U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone 6 or lower4) Purple of Romagna: Italian heirloom favored by chefs for its tenderness and unique nutty taste Violetto: Oval-shaped Italian heirloom known for producing dozens of small side shoots Three Artichoke Starting Options Because artichokes take about six months to mature, you need to get a head start when planning to add artichokes to your vegetable garden. Below are three options to consider:5 Direct seed: Start seedlings via direct seed in 4-inch pots about 12 weeks before the last expected frost in your area. Transplant seedlings eight to 10 weeks after seeding, and only after danger of a hard frost has passed and the soil has warmed. For best results, transplant your seedlings when they are about 8 to 10 inches tall, with stocky stems and two sets of true leaves. Due to their large size when mature, plant artichokes 2 to 4 feet apart Shoots taken from existing plants: If you have access to a healthy artichoke plant in the early spring, you can use a knife and a spade to remove a rooted shoot; when planted correctly and given proper care, the transplanted shoot will grow into a healthy, full-sized plant Dormant roots: You can buy dormant roots from your local nursery or return to the garden any roots you removed at the end of the last growing season; set the roots in the ground vertically, with the growth buds just above the soil surface Artichoke Planting Tips Artichokes thrive in full sun to partial shade. The soil should be moist and well-drained. Six to eight hours of sun a day is ideal. Because they grow new shoots every year, to encourage large, flavorful buds. You should remove all but one or two of the strongest shoots. It will take at least two growing seasons before you can expect to see healthy, tasty artichokes, but it will be well worth the wait. Before you can even begin to think about planting artichokes, you must consider the condition of your soil.6,7, 8 Because artichokes thrive in moist, slightly acidic conditions, you'll want to: Strive for a soil pH of around 5.5 Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 inches to ensure proper root development Work a shovel of compost or aged manure into the soil just before planting, and again annually; using a granulated organic fertilizer with a balanced nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium level is another option Apply a midseason dressing of aged manure Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the season; mulch as needed to retain moisture Artichokes: Annual or Perennial? In warmer climates, artichokes are traditionally grown as perennials, producing buds during the second growing season based on a period of overwintering. They take about 180 days to mature. If you live in a cooler climate but want to get artichoke buds the first year, you must direct seed and grow artichokes as annuals. Rodale's Organic Life shares tips on how to perform vernalization, a method of tricking your artichoke plants into behaving as if they have already made it through their first winter so they will flower earlier. To do so, you must:9 Expose young plants to a period of cool temperatures — in the range of 34 to 50 degrees F — by placing your transplant seedlings in a cold frame about six weeks before the last frost Maintain a temperature below 50 degrees F during these six weeks, which means you may have to open the lid of the cold frame as needed to maintain the desired temperature After the vernalization period is complete, plant the seedlings in the garden when there is no danger of frost How to Harvest Artichokes As mentioned in the video above, most plants will produce up to eight or nine artichokes. With so many buds drawing nutrients, only one or two of the artichokes will be large, and the rest will be small. If you want larger artichokes, you will need to cut off most of the buds as soon as they appear, retaining, at most, three to four of them. Artichokes are ready to be harvested10 in mid- to late-summer after the stems have flowered and the artichoke buds are tight, firm and about 3 inches in diameter. To harvest, cut the artichoke stems at an angle about 2 inches below the head. Refrigerate unwashed artichokes in plastic bags, where they will keep for up to two weeks. Wash them prior to cooking. Because aphids (and sometimes ants) can burrow into artichokes, if you notice these pests during harvesting, you will want to soak cut artichokes in a bowl of salted water to draw the pests out. In most cases, after the first cutting, your plants will produce a second crop of smaller artichoke buds. If you allow the buds to open fully, the artichokes will no longer be edible but you will enjoy beautiful, ornamental flowers. After you have harvested all the buds on a stem, cut the stem down to or near ground level. After harvest, you have two options for keeping your artichokes going from one season to the next:11 Mulching: In U.S. plant hardiness zones 7 and warmer, you can easily protect artichokes during the offseason by cutting back all the foliage (at or just above ground level) and placing a thick mulch of leaves or straw around each plant. Digging up roots: If you live in a colder region, you can dig up your artichoke roots, shake off most of the dirt and hang them in onion bags in your root cellar or another cool, dry place. In spring, these dormant roots will take off quickly when you replant them in the garden. Saving Artichoke Seeds In climates where summers are long enough for seeds to ripen, you can save artichoke seeds for future plantings. Harvested seeds will typically remain viable for about six years. The video above shows you how to collect seeds. The steps involved in collecting artichoke seeds are:12 Choosing a large bud from one of your most vigorous artichoke plants Letting the bud grow until it blooms and produces a flower Allowing the flower to shrivel and turn brown Detaching the dried flower from the plant and storing it in a paper bag indoors for two weeks Plucking the seeds out of the dried flower and storing them for future use Health Benefits of Artichokes A 3.5-ounce serving of artichokes contains 47 calories and 5 grams (g) of fiber, 3 g of protein and 1 g of sugar. Among their many beneficial nutrients, artichokes contain high amounts of vitamins C, K and B9 (folate), as well as beneficial amounts of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and potassium. Artichokes are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Some of the health benefits of artichokes are as follows:13,14 Boost heart health: Artichoke leaves contain ingredients shown to optimize your low- to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios Ensure healthy elimination: Due to high amounts of dietary fiber, artichokes add bulk to your stool that will decrease your susceptibility to diarrhea and constipation, while ensuring healthy, regular bowel movements Prevent cancer: Artichokes are extremely high in antioxidants, including vitamin C, quercetin and rutin. Artichokes also contain high levels of polyphenols, which have chemoprotective qualities designed to slow down and stop, or even reverse, the effects of cancer in your body Promote liver health: Artichokes have long been used as a liver tonic based on the presence of cynarin and silymarin, antioxidants that reduce and eliminate liver toxins, and possibly contribute to the regrowth and repair of damaged liver cells Regulate blood pressure: Because they are a rich source of potassium, artichokes help regulate the effects of sodium on your body, which positively impacts your blood pressure Support gallbladder function: Artichokes can soothe an inflamed gallbladder and promote healthy gallbladder function by stimulating the production and secretion of gastric juices, as well as bile Three Cautions About Artichokes While artichokes are an excellent source of nutrition to most people, they are not beneficial to everyone. You should pass on artichokes if any of the following situations apply to you:15 Because artichokes are technically a thistle, not a vegetable, you may not be able to tolerate them if you have sensitivities to daisies, chrysanthemums, marigolds or ragweed. (Take special care if you are considering supplementing with artichoke leaf extract since it is a highly-concentrated form that may have an even more potent negative effect) If you have gallbladder or liver disease, do not add artichokes to your diet unless advised by your doctor; a radical diet change has the potential to worsen certain aspects of your disease Consuming artichokes may make you urinate more frequently, which could be a concern if you are already dealing with an overactive bladder How to Choose an Artichoke When selecting globe artichokes from the market, choose them for their dark green color, compact leaves, heaviness and round shape. Loose leaves indicate the artichoke is past its prime, unless you plan to puree it for soup. Avoid artichokes that look dry or brown. A slight discoloration of the leaves may be a sign of frost damage, which some suggest gives artichokes a sweeter taste. Because conventional artichokes are heavily sprayed with pesticides, buy organic as often as you can. Better yet, grow your own. Before refrigerating your artichokes, carve a thin slice off the stem, sprinkle the leaves with water and store in an airtight plastic bag. Use them within a week. I do not recommend canned artichokes. Artichokes lose most of their nutrients when canned, and a somewhat lesser amount when frozen. When comparing fresh artichokes to processed ones, the loss of flavorful taste is the most outwardly noticeable difference. The Best Part: Eating Artichokes Because artichoke hearts are buttery with a somewhat nutty flavor, they make a wonderful accompaniment to grilled or sautéed fish, such as wild Alaskan salmon. Most often, artichokes are served as an appetizer (think spinach-artichoke dip), added to salads or dressed with olive oil, vinegar and herbs. Whole artichoke buds are best roasted or steamed and served with a dipping sauce, such as melted raw, organic grass fed butter. You can always add garlic, lemon or mustard to your butter, if desired. To make roasted artichokes, follow these easy steps: Cut off the top third of the leaves and the stem Tuck a few garlic cloves into the center Spritz with oil and lemon juice and a shake of salt Wrap tightly with foil and bake at 425 degrees F for one hour and 15 minutes When cool enough to handle, the leaves can be enjoyed when peeled one by one and raked through your teeth to extract the meat. Eating a whole artichoke is an act of patience and a joyful, communal art when undertaken during a family gathering or dinner party. For another variation, be sure to try my Fennel-Dill Artichoke recipe. I combined the flavorful goodness of artichokes with equally nutritious ingredients like fennel, dill, carrots and coconut oil. The result: a scrumptious baked artichoke recipe you and your family will surely love. In whatever way you choose to enjoy them, I think you will find artichokes to be so tasty and healthy that you will be motivated to keep the plants coming back in your garden year after year.

#VitalityPath

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