I know it’s only August, but I’m wondering what kind of vegetables would make a nice autumn and winter harvest.  I know my mom always like to grow Chinese mustard, garlic, onion, and cilantro during the cold season.

The folks at Seeds of Change refer to this as “Four Season Growing“.

Fresh Broccoli Raab.  Photo from Seeds of Change -“Tender young leaves and stems form small florets with a mild flavor reminiscent of broccoli and turnip.”

They recommend these varieties as they are cold-hardy.  Some of the list include:  Arugula, Beetberry, Broccoli Raab, Chicory, Cress, Endive, Huazontle, Komatsuna, Mesclun Salad Mix, Mesclun Spicy Salad Mix, Mustard Greens, Orach, Purslane .

I’ve haven’t really heard of most of these names.  But Broccoli Raab is my favorite.  It’s really tasty in sautes or slightly steam and eaten with a spicy sauce.

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I came across this seed company while I was shopping at Common Grounds in Palo Alto, Ca.  Seeds of Change is based out of New Mexico since 1989.  They specialize in non-GMOs, open pollinated organic seeds.  These are seeds that allow you to grow and save the seeds again with the guarantee that it’s the same as the parent seed.  Unlike commercial seed packets which are usually hybrids.  There are some pro and cons to this idea, but overall I think it’s a good idea if you plan on saving the seeds.

Photo from Seeds of Change.

There were so many selections of cucumber seeds, one that I liked was the Satsuki Madori Cucumber (about $3) pictured above.  The folks at Seeds of Change has described it as a very rare, Asian variety.  The fruit is long and slender with tender skin and few seeds.  They also say it’s extremely delicious and never bitter.  That sounds like a winner to me!

Next year I want to suggest this Japanese cucumber to my mom’s vegetables garden.  This year I suggested beets for her garden and it’s turned out to be one of her favorite.  Garden grown beet (or vegetables) is so much tastier then the grocery store variety.  I am sure many gardeners out there can agree.

Common Grounds is also a great place to find local honey and also helpful information on organic gardening.  The folks there are really nice and helpful.  They also provide a useful list of vegetable companions and their antagonists.  See the full list here.

I have included a few interesting information from Seeds of Change in this post, but you can read the rest here.  And if you are in the area (New Mexico), you can take a farm tour in late August and September.

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