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Kale and collards, a type of kale, share the same species, Brassica oleracea, and are considered non-heading or loose-leaf members of the cabbage family. Both grow best in the cool season, sweetened by frost.
Broccoli, a member of the Brassicaceae (cabbage) family, has been under cultivation in Europe for centuries, but it wasnt until It was the 1920s that it was planted as a commercial crop in California where it is now grown nearly exclusively. In home gardens, broccoli is grown as a cool weather crop.
Pungent basil leaves fresh from the summer herb garden offer aroma and taste in a myriad of dishes. Normally thought of as Italian or Mediterranean, basil originated in Africa and southern AsiaIndia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Ancient corn known as maize from areas near the Andes eventually hybridized with other grasses to become the field corn grown world-wide today. Succulent sweet corn was a spontaneous mutation in field corn and continues to be hybridized by commercial breeders.
Leeks are a member of the same family that includes onions, chives and garlic, but they do not form bulbs and have a milder flavor. Lower parts of stems, 3-10 inches, are white, tender, and 1-3 in. in diameter. Leeks are a welcome fall and winter crop but may be grown year round near the coast.
As one of the longest lived perennial vegetables, asparagus needs careful attention when planted. The tasty spears and 3-8 ft. high ferny growth will be a significant part of the food garden for 15 years or longer.
Shallots are closely related to onions and garlic with mild overtones of both in taste. They develop clusters of bulbs like garlic and are often used in place of onions in cuisines. Gray shallots are preferred by some as the only true shallot and are propagated only from bulbs.
Garlic, a close relative of onions, shallots and leeks, is easily grown in Sonoma County. It occupies little garden space from fall through spring while still producing an ample crop.
Like few other vegetables, nearly the entire beet plant can be eaten below-ground bulbs and above-ground foliage. A good crop depends on careful thinning and transplanting crowded seedlings into fertile, amended soil. Bumpy, brown seeds are actually a cluster of several seeds that germinate in a clump.
