Plant rhubarb in late winter or early spring. Rhubarb is a perennial so choose a spot where it can grow and thrive for up to 10 years. Three or four root crowns will produce all of the rhubarb you can eat. Bare-root rhubarb rhizomes are most readily available for sale in nurseries in late winter…
Stalk Vegetables
Asparagus Growing
Asparagus requires a carefully chosen site. It’s a perennial crop that is going to grow in the same spot for up to 20 years. To produce a crop that will give you plenty of spears each year, you need to plant a whole bed of asparagus at one time. (Plant ten plants for each person;…
How to Grow Florence Fennel
Florence fennel is a cool-weather perennial grown as an annual. Fennel can be sown in the garden as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date in spring. Florence fennel, which is grown for its bulbous stalk, requires 90 to 115 frost-free days to reach harvest. For an autumn crops sow…
How to Grow Leeks
Leeks are grown for their thick, juicy stems. They are a mild-flavored alternative to the onion. Leeks require a long growing season—up to 170 days. They grow best in cool, mild weather. Types of Leeks There are two types of leeks: short-season and long-season. Long-season leeks have thick, cylindrical stems. They take about 170 days…
How to Grow Rhubarb
Rhubarb is grown for its leaf stems (called petioles) which are thick and fleshy. The stems are colorful—cherry red to deep red and sometimes green–and tart. They are used in jams and pies—with plenty of sugar added—and are often matched with the sweetness of strawberries. Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that requires a dedicated growing…
Celery: Kitchen Basics
Here’s a formula for getting the most out of a bunch of celery: Trim off the leafy top and set it aside for flavoring soups or stock or for use in salads. Remove and dice the coarse outer ribs then combine them with diced carrots and onions and herbs to make mirepoix—a tasty seasoning for…
Chard: Kitchen Basics
Swiss chard, chard, silver beet, spinach beet, leaf beat, sea kale, Swiss beet, sea kale beet, Indian spinach—are all the same vegetable. Don’t get dizzy! Swiss chard leaves have a hearty, yet mild spinach flavor. Swiss chard stalks have a delicate, celery-like taste and crunch. Serve chard greens raw alone or in a mixed green…
Bamboo Shoots: Kitchen Basics
Bamboo shoots are a spring delicacy in Japan. Slowly simmered, they have a delicate, bitter flavor and earthy aroma. Fresh bamboo shoots can be sliced and boiled, sautéed or braised and served as an accompaniment to meat and fish. They can be slow cooked with other vegetables or stir-fried. The crunchy texture of young, tender…
Kohlrabi: Kitchen Basics
Kohlrabi tastes like a mild, sweet turnip with a bit of radish tang. Young kohlrabi is juicy and crisp and delicate. Trim, scrub, boil whole or sliced for 20 or 30 minutes, then drain, peel, and serve with melted butter or white sauce or mashed. Kohlrabi is delicious served with cheese, curry, Dijon mustard, garlic,…
Asparagus: Kitchen Basics
When asparagus comes to your farm market, you know that spring has arrived. Asparagus plants produce young edible shoots—called “spears” for about six weeks each spring just as the days begin to lengthen and winter fades. The season for asparagus is late February through June—the season’s peak depends upon where you live. What’s the best…
