Not so common veg to grow

[Maggiethecat]

Involved in a small group plot and thinking ahead about things to plant in the spring.

We’ll probably do the usual courgettes, kale, beet and will try for squash, cucumbers, (aubergine- easy to grow?)

Is there anything a bit unusual/uncommon that you’ve had success with and enjoyed growing/eating.

Tomatillos, you need at least two plants, for salsa Verde.

Broccoli raab, though tried first time this year and it either bolted (too warm I think) or the pigeons got it. Going to try again with bird netting. Might sow some this weekend now I've been reminded.

Pakchoi.

Have you looked at www.realseeds.co.uk/

Warning - can rapidly get expensive!

Glass gem corn. It is not for eating like normal sweetcorn, but can be used for popcorn. It is so exciting, unwrapping the outer covering to see what jewel like colours you have.

Wow! Never seen that before!

I’ve had a look and I can tell it’s going to be expensive but want to try their stuff. Thank you

Skirret is delicious!

Also: New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides), caigua / achocha (Cyclanthera); any of the Mexican herbs of the genus Porophyllum (papalo, pipiche, quillquina); shishito peppers; oca (Oxalis tuberosa), De Colgar storage tomatoes; ground cherries (Physalis pruinosa)

Definitely check out Real Seeds.

I grew aubergines for the first time this year and they were fine outside (but as pp said - heatwave!)

Patty pans taste way nicer than courgettes. Round cucumbers (lemon) are nice. Yellow beetroot are delicious roasted. Another yes for kohlrabi.

Trail of Tears beans. Taste lovely when small and tender or leave to dry on vine for black beans to use for burgers and soups.

Essentially I look for anything I can't get easily in the supermarket!

They sound interesting. Do they go stringy?

Tayberries if you have a wall or fence. They're delicious and make fabulous jam.

Posey not if picked young, but they get tough if left too long. However, if they’re then left for the rest of the season to do their thing, they produce tasty white beans

Sounds good @AwkwardSquad are they yellow? Would make spotting them easier!

They are! Quite distinctive

Magentaspreen- in the same genus as Good King Henry, but with amazing magenta centres. Use like spinach, lovely taste.

Salsify, Hamburg parsley, both root veg with delicate taste

Asturian Tree Cabbage, stand for years before going to seed. Sort of kale taste, and it’s always there when needed, all the year round

I'm in the south east and grow aubergines easily outside. Had loads this year. I've grown corn on the cob as well.

I have successfully grown aubergine outside in North Yorkshire, not in a heatwave year; I think what makes a difference is trying the smaller varieties that ripen faster.

I absolutely fell down the rabbit hole with squash/pumpkins and really recommend trying some weird and wonderful varieties. This year we had turk's turban, which looks absolutely amazing, and sibley squash, which is really delicious.

I love growing purple mange tout as well - they're just so pretty and fun.

IMO broad beans are only worth eating if you've grown them.

Jerusalem artichoke are my favourite veg ever. Fartichokes though. Yellow courgettes are nice as are yellow raspberries (but you don’t get many per plant). Tay berries and loganberries are gorgeous. Red/white currants v expensive in shops but lovely and easy to grow. Chillis if you like them (prob need a greenhouse). Lots of varieties of tomatoes.

Not forgetting spaghetti squash!

It’s like a whole new language to me! Need Google translator 😂

I grow aubergines every year without a greenhouse.

@CampariAndSoda - which part of the country are you?

Jerusalem artichokes, they make amazing soup.

Climbing French beans are great, Cobra seem to be particularly good never seem to go stringy, grow to six feet or more and cropped right through to end of September.

Climbing French beans are great
I find the first crop is good, but after that they start to go down hill quite quickly, growing more bean than pod, IYSWIM.

Ooh now let me see...
My rules of the plot say dont bother growing it if its cheap to buy, or doesn't taste significantly better than shop bought so over the last 2 years, I've grown:

Dwarf purple french beans
Yellow climbing french bean (highly recommend neckargold on taste and stringless)
Borlotti beans
Purple sprouting broccoli
Romanesco broccoli
Rainbow carrots (producing purple soup!)
Celeriac
Chioggia, crapaudine and golden beetroot
Burpees golden courgette - v impressive yields and great taste
Patty pan squash- carries in fruiting much later than normal courgettes
Wautoma outdoor cucumber
Exploding cucumber- this is more novelty factor. It doesnt taste amazing.
Bulb fennel
Rainbow chard
Horseradish
Globe artichoke
Salsify
Shallots - much cheaper from seed
Tsai tai and broccoli raab
Peas are a whole other story and taste amazing but likely wont make it off your plot. I eat most of mine in situ. Sugar snaps are amazing. I'll never buy another one.
Squashes- theres millions to choose from! Last year I got 2 x 5½ stone giant squashes from 1 plant. Well worth doing. They made lovely soup and pumkpin pie.
Mixed radishes
Tomatoes - I've had success outdoors with Grushovka - a decent size pink plum, millefleur, rosella (my favourite) and gardeners ecstacy. Indoors my very favourite is yellow brandywine beefsteak. Utterly amazing taste and massive flesh to seed ratio.
Nigella for the seeds

Salad leaves last for at least 2 weeks when bagged with a damp paper towel. Much tastier than shop bought too:
lettuce - real seeds do a great lettuce mix.
Mustards
Salsola agretti
Red orache
Spinach
Winter purslane
Corn salad
Salad burnet
Land cress
Wild and salad rocket
Nasturtium

And I tart up my salads with loads of herbs, which cost a bomb to buy from the shop:
Several varieties of basil
Parsley
Coriander
Chervil
Summer savoury
Lemon oregano
Bay
Rosemary
Thyme
Red perilla
Dill
Chamomile
Lovage
Marjoram
Sorrel

Plus edible flowers to sprinkle on salads:
Viola and pansy
Marigolds
Calendula
Tulip (petals only)
Cornflower
Borage
And the list goes on!

We had sorrel, a few leaves in a salad really brightens it up flavourwise! As children we were always picking and eating sorrel and laughing at each others puckered faces! I discovered more recently that snails love it which helped to keep them off other plants, too. There was still plenty to eat for us too!

Also, if you grow fennel, all the flying things seem to gravitate to it which again keeps them from annoying you and you can still use it yourself. It's really easy to grow. Just cut it right down and it'll spring back up next year. I found a pair of snails mating about 3ft up a fennel stalk one year, so not eating our precious crops.