Garden Wisdom Blog — category: Vegetable Talk

About Cucumbers Cucumbers originated in India where they have been in cultivation for at least 3,000 years. The English word “cucumber” is a derivation of the Indian word kachumbar, which is still used today to describe an Indian salad made from cucumber, tomato, onion, and yoghurt. Cucumbers are mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh and twice in the Bible, and came to be one of the most ubiquitous ingredients of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. The Romans loved them, Charlemagne grew them in France in the 9th century, and Columbus introduced them to Haiti in 1494. The 17th century saw...

About Amaranth: All Amaranths are annuals or short lived perennials with oval, pointed leaves of various colours, which are followed by minute flowers borne on (sometimes drooping), tassel-like spikes that last until the end of summer. These then give way to copious seeds. Originally spelled “amarant,” the derivation is from the Greek amarantos, meaning “unwilting.” Cultural and literary references to this plant are too many to name, but include an excerpt on everlasting beauty by Aesop from the 6th century BC: A Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden, and the Amaranth said to her neighbour,...

Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) As a member of the family Apiaciae, the parsnip counts among its close cousins the carrot, parsley, dill, fennel, cilantro, and celery. All of these bear tall umbels of flowers, but like the carrot, parsnip is biennial, and will not bloom or set seed until its second year of growth. Also like the carrot, the parsnip is grown for its substantial taproot, which is always served cooked. Another member of this family, the cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum), grows wild across North America, and is considered a noxious weed. In several areas in North America, cultivated parsnips have...

Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum, var. porrum, syn. A. porrum) This member of the Allium family is thought to have been in cultivation since the 2nd century BC, from ancient Egypt to Mesopotamia. The Romans believed that eating leeks imparted a sonorous voice — to the point that the emperor Nero had leek soup served to him every day in an effort to increase the volume and resonance of his orations. He was nicknamed the porrophage (porrum being the Latin for leek) by his senators, essentially “leek-mouth.” From what we know about leeks in the historical record, it’s possible they were cultivated...

Cress (Lepidium sativum) & Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) Cress (sometimes called garden cress, garden pepper cress, pepperwort, or pepper grass) is a leafy annual herb from the Brassica family. It is harvested when immature, around one to two weeks after germination, but will grow to a height of around 60cm (24”) if left undisturbed, and then form racemes of white flowers followed by small seedpods. The leaves and stems of young plants are crisp and succulent and high in water content, and the flavour is a bit spicy, similar to the closely related mustard greens. This makes for a surprisingly lively...