Growing History
BY MICHAEL COYLEPHOTOS BY JOEY CAGLE
As summer fades and autumn descends upon the mountains, the vegetable gardener’s mind turns to the harvest. A time of bounty, the reward of a careful tending to heirloom seeds and vegetables brings with it a sense of culture, history and really great flavor.Chip Hope and his wife Julie, proprietors of Appalachian Seeds in Burnsville, specialize in heirloom tomatoes, and also keep a number of different heirloom plants on hand. On a recent trip to the farm, Chip explained a bit about what makes heirloom vegetables so special.
“I once had a woman come to the farm looking for a green tomato — not an unripe tomato — but a real green tomato. She said she remembered, as a child, visiting a woman who had a farm in Greenville, Tennessee, and getting green tomatoes that tasted better than any red tomato she ever had.” Chip reached down to the vine in front of him, plucked a green tomato from the vine and held it up smiling. “I showed her this one, Aunt Ruby’s ‘German Green’ from Greenville Tennessee, and she was thrilled. It had to be the same one.”
Some of the other favorite veggies in Chip’s garden include the small, round ‘Parmex’ carrots, used for their bright flavor, crisp texture and unique visual plating options. Also, the ‘Costata Romanesco’ zucchini, a vigorous grower with a savory, nutty flesh and speckled dark and light green skin. Widely regarded as the best tasting heirloom zucchini, it is resistant to powdery mildew that plagues hybrid varieties. Another plant with a rich history is the ‘Fish Pepper.’ This medium heat, small pepper variety is an heirloom strain with African-American heritage dating back to the late 19th century. Traditionally served in oyster and crab houses, this variety has a tolerable heat perfect for most fish and seafood.
For the garden aficionado, there are a wide variety of cool season heirloom vegetables that are suitable for home cultivation. The ‘Calabrese Green Sprouting’ is an Italian heirloom broccoli that does well in the cooler months. For something exotic with striking plate appeal, choose some colorful beets such as the deep red ‘Bull’s Blood,’ a rich yellow ‘Golden’ beet or the red and white ‘Chioggia’ with a distinctive bull’s eye pattern when sliced. ‘Purple Vienna’ kohlrabi, a veggie closely related to cabbage, offers a dark purple edible stem and leaves that can be prepared like mustard or collard greens.
Vegetables such as these give you variety in taste, color and texture — which is the hallmark of heirloom produce.
When planting cool season heirloom varieties in the fall, place the seeds deeper in the ground than may be called for on the packet. The surface of the soil is warmer in autumn than it will be in early spring. Germination will improve if the seeds are kept moist and cool.
Another great option is to look for heirloom veggies in starter trays at area garden centers. While you are picking up those seeds or starter plants, it is also a good idea to pick up some frost cloth. The first killing frost, a drop in temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit, usually comes in mid-October. Covering plants with frost cloth can provide a temperature buffer that will extend your growing season considerably.
As Chip and I walk toward a table full of freshly harvested tomatoes, he offers one final thought for any gardener interested in growing heirloom veggies: “Don’t be afraid to let your plants go to seed.”
