A few weeks ago I had a post about Achocha, a vegetable the Inca are supposed to have eaten. I grew several other uncommon vegetables this year. Some of them are not very well known simply because they don't deserve to be, but others I am pleased to have discovered. Here are descriptions of three vegetables new to me.
As you can see, the little watermelon (Melothria scabra) looks like a watermelon, but it is tiny. It is also a South American plant. The taste has nothing to do with watermelon, but it is in fact very close to that of cucumber. The plant is a climber that reaches about 4 feet tall. I grew mine on galvanized netting.They are pest free and rather attractive. Beside being eaten raw, like cucumbers, they can be used in stir-fries or even be pickled like gherkins.
I do not think I will grow them again. They are tasty enough, but their chief attraction is the novelty factor. I noticed that people find them interesting but don't seem to have tasted them. They look rather impressive with other things on a salad plate. They are said to be very productive, but it has not been my experience. This is probably due to the fact that we had a rather cool summer.
Another climber I grew for the first time was asparagus peas (Tetragonolobus purpurea). It has a very nice flower, and you eat the seedpod which is described as having a delicate asparagus-like taste. I would say that it falls in the category of vegetables that are unknown for the simple reason that they are not very palatable. I found the pods tough, stringy and rather tasteless. You can see both the flower and the pod in the following picture.
As I said, the pea flower is rather striking and can look good in flower arrangements, but I do not expect to grow the plant again as it is very disappointing as a vegetable. The taste of the pea is bland, and the texture is very coarse and tough.
The final vegetable that I tried for the first time this summer is husk tomato. It looks like a small tomato encased in a paper "bag", just like the invasive perennial "Chinese lantern" (Physalis alkekengi) to which it is, in fact, related as the husk tomato is Physalis philadelphica.
Contrary to the little watermelon and the asparagus pea, this was a complete success. They grew very well, and they make a world of difference in South American dishes like guacamole and salsa, to which they give a slightly tart, lemony taste. They are supposed to be a staple of Mexican cuisine.
You grow them like tomatoes. This means that in our climate they have to be started indoors or in a warm place outside and transferred elsewhere only when temperatures get warmer. They are very prolific, and the plants get very heavy. I had them in regular tomato cages, but some were knocked down by the wind, cage and all because they were too top heavy.
I will certainly grow them again next year, but I may start perhaps fewer plants. I had five of them, but one or two would have been enough as they are much more prolific than tomatoes.
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| Little watermelon |
As you can see, the little watermelon (Melothria scabra) looks like a watermelon, but it is tiny. It is also a South American plant. The taste has nothing to do with watermelon, but it is in fact very close to that of cucumber. The plant is a climber that reaches about 4 feet tall. I grew mine on galvanized netting.They are pest free and rather attractive. Beside being eaten raw, like cucumbers, they can be used in stir-fries or even be pickled like gherkins.
I do not think I will grow them again. They are tasty enough, but their chief attraction is the novelty factor. I noticed that people find them interesting but don't seem to have tasted them. They look rather impressive with other things on a salad plate. They are said to be very productive, but it has not been my experience. This is probably due to the fact that we had a rather cool summer.
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| Little watermelon |
Another climber I grew for the first time was asparagus peas (Tetragonolobus purpurea). It has a very nice flower, and you eat the seedpod which is described as having a delicate asparagus-like taste. I would say that it falls in the category of vegetables that are unknown for the simple reason that they are not very palatable. I found the pods tough, stringy and rather tasteless. You can see both the flower and the pod in the following picture.
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| Asparagus pea |
As I said, the pea flower is rather striking and can look good in flower arrangements, but I do not expect to grow the plant again as it is very disappointing as a vegetable. The taste of the pea is bland, and the texture is very coarse and tough.
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| Husk tomato or Tomatillo verde |
Contrary to the little watermelon and the asparagus pea, this was a complete success. They grew very well, and they make a world of difference in South American dishes like guacamole and salsa, to which they give a slightly tart, lemony taste. They are supposed to be a staple of Mexican cuisine.
You grow them like tomatoes. This means that in our climate they have to be started indoors or in a warm place outside and transferred elsewhere only when temperatures get warmer. They are very prolific, and the plants get very heavy. I had them in regular tomato cages, but some were knocked down by the wind, cage and all because they were too top heavy.
I will certainly grow them again next year, but I may start perhaps fewer plants. I had five of them, but one or two would have been enough as they are much more prolific than tomatoes.
Glad at least one of those was successful!
ReplyDeleteThe small melon taste OK but not really worth the trouble.
DeleteThese are some interesting plants. Not enough people will take a risk and grow something very different. thanks for the report.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it Red.
DeleteThose look just like tomatillos, I thought of your husk tomato, and when I looked it up, it is. A young friend started them in her apartment, moved them to her balcony and eventually brought them to our house. We had three pots just out the back door. Delicious little fellas.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. They are tomatillo verde. Raw, on their own, they are not as good as tomatoes. But they give a very nice flavour when you had them to some sauces.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting post. It is fun to try new vegetables. I have grown asparagus pea and like you I was disappointed. The little water melon looks interesting. Maybe I will give it a try next year.
ReplyDeleteThe little water melon are good tasting but it is a curiosity rather than serious food item. They would look very good on a patio in a container. You could admire them on the vine as well as on the plate.
DeleteThanks for the review. I haven't been enamoured of calendula or borage leaves, either, although dried calendula petals are a colourful addition to the look of a jar of tisane.
ReplyDeleteTomatillos are fabulous! Little hot-air balloons floating on four-foot-long stalks, way more fruit than we've ever gotten from tomato plants, and jars of salsa! Will have to grow them again next year because the canning shelves are nearly empty.
Borage flowers are beautiful on white icing on a cake. They stay fresh a long time and look striking.
DeleteAlways fun to try something new. Are these last the same thing as Ground Cherries? I've had them come up from seed left over from some previous resident and didn't know what to do with them.
ReplyDeleteI think ground cherries are smaller and used in pies (sweet dishes). The tomatillos are a fair bit bigger and are used in savory dishes. We like them best in quacamole. I got the seeds from William Dam.
DeleteI'm so glad that one of the three met with your approval. It must be disappointing when you have taken so much trouble, to have the plant fail with the taste test.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think what I enjoy most is the experiment, discovering a new plant and see what it does.
DeleteThat's the fun of gardening! It would be boring to always grow the same thing. :o)
DeleteThe husk tomatoes look like tomatillos - are they the same thing? As for the others, sometimes the obscure should stay obscure.
ReplyDeleteI love salsa verde, which is made with tomatillos. It's too bad the asparagus peas were such duds. They had a wonderful flower.
ReplyDeleteYour tiny watermelon looks like what we are growing as cucamelons. We haven't been impressed but have been told we picked too early.
ReplyDeleteWe saw an asparagus pea on flower at Harlow Carr our local RHS garden and the staff there didn't rate the vegetable but it looked pretty,
The final one looks like our Inca berry plants which as yet have empty lanterns! From what you sat about them I have crossed my fingers.
It is always fun to experiment, and when you do try new things, there are bound to be successes and failures. I am glad that tomatillos worked out so well that you want to have a few plants again next year. I'd love to taste them myself.
ReplyDeleteA husk tomato is very interesting. Did you liked its taste Alain?
ReplyDeleteThe small watermelon made me laugh, so cute is!