Nutritious Vegetables That Can Only be Grown at Home

There are several reasons why some delicious and nutritious vegetables are overlooked in the modern food production system. Some vegetables do not store well and thus are not suited for the commercial distribution system. Some tiny plants yield terrific nutrition, but are tedious to harvest and thus, not commercially viable. For a home gardener, these obstacles are not always such a problem. Some tiny vegetables, for instance, can be fantastic container plants. And many gardeners do not mind a little extra work because they generally value nutritious food.

Here is a short list of some unusual but valuable additions to any home garden.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) is a leafy vegetable with a sturdy rib in the middle. It is in the same family as beets and spinach, and is called silverbeet, leaf beet, and spinach beet. University of Illinois reports the name ‚”Swiss” was used in the nineteenth century by seed companies to differentiate it from a French vegetable. Further, the origin of Swiss chard may be Sicily. Chard contains a healthy dose of vitamin A, along with calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Chard can grow in sun or partial shade, and will tolerate a wide variety of temperatures from cool spring or fall to fairly hot summers. It can be successfully grown in containers as well. With some protection, it can also survive milder winters.

There are two traditional varieties – “ruby” chard, a red-stemmed variety and a more common white-stemmed variety. Both are delicious. A newer “rainbow” type is a gorgeous addition to any garden. It tends to have thinner stems, but is absolutely beautiful.

Corn Salad or Mache

This vegetable (Valerianella locusta) is tiny, but a delicious salad green containing surprising amounts of vitamins A and C. It prefers cool weather; indeed its main use in many cultures has been to serve as a source of nourishment during cold months. The flavor is delicate. The vegetable is not difficult to grow – cool season crops are threatened by fewer insect pests and plant diseases. Because it is such a small plant, however, it must be thickly planted. Further, for a given amount of surface area in the garden, it yields a relatively small amount of food. But, it should not be overlooked as a salad vegetable in cool seasons, and its value as a container plant should not be ignored.

For the gardener looking for something to grow in those times of year when production is marginal, it is a wonderful salad vegetable.

Purslane

Purslane (portulaca oleracea) is all but unknown in the U.S., though it has an essential place in history. Henry David Thoreau ate purslane for dinner (boiled and salted) and wrote about it in his immortal classic, Walden. Since Thoreau’s time, however, purslane has fallen into obscurity. It does grow prolifically in some places and is often regarded as a weed. But it is very nutritious and tasty, containing antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.

Because of the increased awareness of the need for omega-3 fatty acids in western diets, nutritionists and edible landscaping enthusiasts are attempting to educate gardeners about purslane. It grows prolifically once established. Researchers from the University of California report that one plant can produce up to 240,000 seeds! The seeds need moisture to germinate, but can tolerate drought once sprouted.

Miner’s Lettuce

Another overlooked source of nutrition is miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata). It has a bland but delicate flavor and is very cold-tolerant. It combines nicely with other greens for a salad. Miner’s lettuce grows best in moist but well-drained soils and away from full sun. Greens can become bitter in hot dry conditions. Miner’s lettuce is a rich source of vitamin C.

This plant is an annual, but can often reseed if planted in an accommodating location. Miner’s lettuce could also serve as a good salad crop for a container garden.

Miner’s lettuce is sometimes called “winter purslane.” These two plants look very different, but are in the same family.

Malabar Spinach

This vegetable (Basella alba) is not related to spinach, but when cooked, tastes like spinach! It is a heat-loving, sun-loving, succulent vine. Some gardeners grow it simply for the attractive vine. Malabar spinach is native to tropical Asia where is is grown as a perennial. In most areas, it is grown as an annual since it cannot tolerate frost or even cool temperatures. It is also known as Ceylon spinach. There are two different varieties of malabar spinach, a red-stemmed and green-stemmed, each tasting the same.

Seeds should be planted after all danger of frost and when night time temperature exceeds 60° F. Leaves and shoot tips can be harvested through the summer. Late in summer, the plant will produce small berries bearing seeds. Often, the plants will re-seed and return the next summer.

Malabar spinach is a good source of B vitamins and fiber, as well as vitamins A and C and other minerals. Young leaves can eaten raw in salads, and it can be lightly steamed or used in a stir-fry. It can become slimy when overcooked.

Malabar spinach does not refrigerate well.

Shopping for Garden Seeds – Organic Seed Section or Mail Order

Swiss chard seeds are generally available in garden centers. To obtain other vegetables discussed here, mail order sources are probably the best bet, though some garden centers feature organic seed areas where these seeds might be available. These are very nutritious vegetables and most are hardy and have few pest problems. They are worth a little extra effort in shopping for big rewards during the growing season!

References:

Balitas, Margaret L., Growing Fruits and Vegetables Organically: The Backyard Gardener’s Guide to Growing a Great-Tasting, Problem-Free Harvest, Rodale Books, Emmaus, PA, 1994

Emerson, Barbara H., Controlling Weeds, Ortho Books, San Ramon, CA, 1989

United States Department of Agriculture, “PLANTS Profile,” http://www.plants.usda.gov/index.html, Accessed April 17, 2010