Make your next gathering one to remember by including unique vegetables on the relish tray, as a side dish or for dessert. Your guests will be wowed not only because you grew your own ingredients, but because of the unique shape, color or flavor of the vegetables you serve.
Create a memorable dining experience with attractive edible containers adorning the patio, balcony or deck. Include a few Candle Fire Okra plants in large containers to create a tropical feel. The dark green leaves, hibiscus flowers and colorful red pods make a striking display in a container or the garden.
Surprise guests with roasted Candle Fire okra and Candyland Red currant tomatoes. Roasting okra eliminates the slime that keeps many from eating this unique vegetable. And don’t discard any overripe pods, use them in flower arrangements to dress up any event.
Let your guests to harvest their own greens, herbs and cherry tomatoes to toss into their salads or season their meal. Use Prizm kale as a vertical dark green accent in your containers. Then add a contrasting ornamental leaf lettuce like Red Sails, long lasting vibrant Red Kingdom Mizuna (Japanese mustard) and edible flowers like calendulas, nasturtiums and pansies. The new Patio Choice tomatoes produce up to 100 yellow cherry tomatoes on an 18 inch plant. Plant it in a container for a splendid display then watch guests harvest fresh tomatoes from your centerpiece.
Dress up the table, indoors or out, with potted herbs as centerpieces. Include Dark Opal Basil with dark purple leaves and compact Dolce Fresca in a simple container or more decorative pot to create a splendid display. Just place a pair of garden snips on the table and let your guests flavor their meals.
Make any meal special with a Bok Choy Frittata. Your guests will be impressed when you create this popular dish from your own homegrown ingredients. Asian Delight Pak Choi (or Bok Choy) is slow to flower so you will enjoy season-long harvests. The mild flavored tender white stems and textured dark green leaves look good in containers, the garden and when served fresh in a salad, frittata or stir fry.
Serve a colorful platter of sliced tomatoes with the Chef’s Choice series of red, pink, orange, yellow and green fruit. Globe-shaped beefsteak tomatoes have the perfect balance of acid to sugar. Their disease resistance, productivity, yield, flavor, color and performance made them winners in the nonprofit All-America Selections national trials (all-americaselections.org).
Stuff a few of the uniquely shaped Mad Hatter sweet peppers with cheese. Your guests will enjoy the beauty and refreshing citrusy floral flavor of this three-sided red pepper. The vigorous plant produces an abundance of fruit, so you’ll have plenty to use in appetizers and salads or pickled for future enjoyment.
End the evening with a surprise. Serve each guest their own Mini Love watermelons. Or brighten their dessert plates with a slice or two of Gold in Gold. This eye-catching watermelon has a yellow rind with golden stripes. The orange-gold flesh is crisp and sugary.
With a little planning, you can plant unique and beautiful edibles in your garden and containers this season. Then find fun ways to share them at potlucks, meals for family and friends, or as a snack on a summer afternoon.
Melinda Myers hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything: Food Gardening For Everyone” DVD set and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Visit melindamyers.com.