Celestrial Scallop Mix ~  These Patty Pan-type squash are an intriguing mix of colors. Includes dark green, pale green, white, pale yellow, bright yellow and even striped pie-shaped fruits. Used in colorful baby vegetable dishes and pickling or teacup-size for steaming, baking or stir-fry. 

Costata Romanesco ~ This distinctive zucchini is medium gray-green, with pale green flecks and prominent ribs. Much better flavor than hybrid zucchini, clearly better textured, nutty, and delicious, raw or cooked. A good producer of heavy male blossom buds for cooking. 

Pool Ball Mixture ~ You'll love these little dandies! Harvest the colorful round zucchini when fruits are 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Use them for stuffing, shish kabobs, soups or any recipe calling for summer squash. 

Scallop Early White ~   Flying saucer shaped fruits look like they will soon spin right out of your garden. Kids love the look of these great little squashes and makes it easier to get them to eat them. Creamy, tasty texture makes these little squashes great for many dishes. 

Brine
1 1/2 to 2 pounds French Breakfast radishes or table radishes, with their stems on (stems optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
Seasoning Paste
1/4 cup Mushroom Broth (see below) or water
2 tablespoons Korean chili pepper flakes
1 teaspoon peeled, finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar

In a large bowl, thoroughly wash the radishes in 3 to 4 changes of water. Drain. Trim any unsightly ends and tops and cut the radishes in half. In another large bowl, toss the radishes with the salt. Let stand for 20 minutes.

To make the seasoning paste, in a small bowl, combine the broth, chile pepper flakes, ginger, garlic, and sugar. Set aside.

Drain the radishes in a colander set over a bowl, reserving the brined juice. Rinse any excess salt off the radishes and let drain for another 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the radishes with the seasoning paste and toss until evenly coated. Pack the radishes into a quart-size jar. Pour the reserved brining liquid into the bowl that was used to coat the radishes with the seasonings, and swirl the liquid around to capture any leftover seasonings. Pour into the jar, cover with a lid, and let sit at room temperature for 1 day. Refrigerate and consume within 1 week.

From The Kimchi Cookbook by Lauryn Chun

Watermelon radish chips
by Erika Kerekes December-5-2011
Thin slices of crisp radish deep-fried, then sprinkled with sea salt: There's no better snack. Look for exotic watermelon radishes at your local farmers' market or specialty grocer (you might have to ask).

Ingredients

• 4-6 cups grapeseed or canola oil, for deep frying
• 1 pound watermelon radishes, scrubbed well (do not peel)
•  sea salt

Instructions
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil to 325 degrees (a deep-fry thermometer clipped to the side of the pan is a helpful tool). You want the oil to be a few inches deep, with plenty of room for things to bubble up without spilling over as you drop in the chips.While the oil is heating, slice the watermelon radishes thinly. If your knife skills are good enough to do this by hand, congratulations. Mine are not, so I use a hand-held mandoline. Line a plate with several layers of paper towel.Test the temperature of the oil by adding one slice of radish to the pot. It should bubble aggressively and be golden brown in less than a minute. If this is the case, remove the test chip and flip it onto the paper towel to drain. Add a handful of chips, making sure to separate them as they go into the pot so they don't stick together. Turn them over as the edges brown, then take them out and drain them on the paper towel.Continue in a similar fashion until all the chips are used up. Sprinkle them with a tiny bit of salt every few batches, but be careful not to overdo it. You want to salt them when they're hot.Serve immediately.

Details
Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 20 minsTotal time: 30 minsYield: 4 servings

Black Valentine ~ Gorgeous black bean that dates back to the 1800s, although it is a dual purpose bean for both snap and dried, we will use it for our dried bean plantings this year. Even though its shell is shiny, it cooks up quickly.

Calypso ~ One of the all-time best for baking and soups! Also known as Orca or Ying Yang for its contrasting black and white colors with a dotted eye. When cooked, beans double in size and retain their distinctive coloring. Well-loved by bean aficionados for its creamy rich texture and striking color.

Dragon's Tongue ~ Our favorite bean, because it's a triple threat. Can be used as a snap, fresh shell or dried bean. This famous Duch heirloom has imcomparable flavor. Very popular with chefs and gourmets. We are growing it this year for all three uses. 

Jacob's Cattle ~ An old-time bean from the New England states, the white and maroon-mottled beans have long been a staple for baking and soups. This early, bush variety is also good as a snap bean.

Kenearly Yellow Eye ~ A favorite throughout the Northeast for baked beans and hearty winter soups.  Beans hold their shape when cooked, or can be blended down into a rich and creamy base. 

Lina Sisco's Bird Egg ~ An unbelievably aromatic and plump bean, its skin splits open to reveal a creamy, almost potato-like texture. Lina Cisco's Bird Egg bean is equally delicious boiled, seasoned and topped with cornbread as it is roasted, salted and served as an appetizer. 

Painted Pony ~ Heiloom from Mexico that maintains it's lovely markings when cooked. It's rich and nutty flavor is perfect for any slow-cooked bean dishes.

Silver Cloud Cannelloni ~ Prized as cooking beans for their smooth, meaty texture and a dense, nutty flavor. Often used in soups, this is the classic Minestrone bean. Silver Cloud was bred by Washington State University as an improvement over the much loved heirloom. 

Vermont Cranberry Bean ~ An incredible Vermont heirloom variety that can be used as a snap, shell or dry bean. We’ll be growing it as a dried bean. Maroon colored beans are decorated with darker red, cranberry markings. This variety dates back to the 1800s, and its rich flavor is unsurpassed.

Guatemalan Blue ~ Grown by South American Indians over 1000 years before Columbus. Elongated, slate blue fruits with lighter striping. Inside is deep orange flesh with a smooth texture and delectable sweet, fruity flavor. Try it roasted or baked, whole or in slices, fried, or pureed for pies and soups.

Musquee de Provence ~ Thick, deep orange, moderately sweet flesh. In France cut wedges are sold in supermarkets and farmers' markets for cooking. Decorative. Late maturity. Long storage. 

Black King ~  A favorite that was developed in Japan. Very versatile for cooking, dark purple, a perfect variety for Eggplant Parmessian.

Pingtung ~ Very tender skin does not need to be peeled. Good tolerance to disease. Awesome on the grill! Originates from Taiwan.

Rosa Bianca ~A lovely Sicilian variety with light pink fruite streaked with white and violet. Mild, creamy taste with no bitterness and very low number of seeds. 

Capitano ~ A taste sensation, these glowing yellow Romano beans have a delicious full flavor and tender texture. A flattened bean that keeps it's tenderness even at full size.

Purple Velour ~  French filet type beans, royal, deep purple color and equally rich, satisfying flavor make this the epitome of luxury in a vegetable. The slender, smooth, round pods are straight, gorgeous, sumptuous, stringless beans with extra fine texture and taste. When cooked, the purple color changes to brilliant green.

Dragon's Tongue ~  Probably the best multipurpose bean available. It's suited to use as a fresh snap bean or as a shelled bean when fully mature. As a snap, harvest when the flat beans turn from lime green to buffed yellow with bright purple stripes.

Mascotte French Filet ~ The first bean to win an All-America Selection in more than 25 years, it offers stringless, slender, crunchy beans packed with flavor and nutrition.

Romano Purpiat ~ Lustrous purple pods, pods are so tender, crisp, and delicious that we found them irresistible picked fresh from the plant. The pods turns them a brilliant jade-green with a nearly stringless texture when cooked.

Aji Cristal ~ Aromatic and flavorful, especially when not fully ripe. Almost a "sweet grapefruit" like flavor. Fruity heat and crisp medium flesh makes this pod perfect for fresh consumption, most flavorful when green, an unusual trait for this species. Origin - Chile

Aji Dulce ~ The same shape, size, color and aroma of Habanero, but is sweet, spicy, and delicious, with only a trace of heat. The fruits are highly aromatic and the flavor is unusual and complex, with overtones of black pepper and coriander, and undertones of other spicy flavors.

Beaver Dam ~ Ripening from lime-green to red.
The crunchy fruits are mildly hot and when seeded, they hold an excellent flavor. Rated as 3 on a heat scale of 1-5, the Beaver Dam is great for making fresh batches of cool and tangy salsas, also stuffed and grilled.

Chimayo ~ An ancient heirloom from the mountains of New Mexico, this pepper is not meant to be very hot, it’s the sweet, complex, ultra-flavorful base for chili powder and enchilada sauce.

Czech Black ~ Maturing from glossy black to a glowing garnet red color and perfect for ristras and fresh use in place of the slightly spicier Jalapenos.  Juicy, thick walled, and perfect for pickling. Great eating quality in all color stages.

Early Jalapeno ~ Are hottest and fully ripe when they turn red.
The short, 2-3 inch peppers are thick-walled and juicy. Use fresh, pickled, or in sauces. Early Jalapeño will set fruit under cooler conditions than other jalapeño varieties.

Fatalii ~ Hails from the Central African Republic, with Scoville ratings from 250,000-300,000.  Yellow-orange fruit that is about 3" long, with very few pepper seeds in the cavity. Some say besides the fiery flavor, they taste hints of citrus and even peach.

Habanaro Peach ~ Everything its name indicates, offering a delicate balance between proper heat and a hint of peach flavor that just asks to be turned into a sauce.

Hinkelhatz ~ A rare heirloom pepper which translates to “chicken heart,” a description of its size and shape. Its flavor is described as “stocky” and it is considered to be quite hot. Traditionally used exclusively for pickling. The Pennsylvania Dutch cooked and pureed it to make a pepper vinegar

Korean ~ Make the best authentic kimchi. Not quite as hot as a Thai or cayenne, which means you can make your kimchi very red (tons of chili) without killing the people who eat it. Still fairly hot so be careful. The real greatness of this pepper is in its earliness to turn red in cool conditions & its enormous yields

Long Red Cayenne ~ Long, slender, slightly wrinkled 4 to 6 inch peppers no thicker than a pencil are very hot. Fruits turn from dark green to bright red. Especially good for pickles, hot sauces and drying. Superb in chili and salsa.

Martin's Carrot ~ Some call this the Pennsylvania Dutch jalapeño, since it can be used like a jalapeño in cookery. The Pennsylvania Dutch who pickle it whole often serve it stuffed with peanut butter; which makes an interesting hors d’oeuvre, especially when eaten with salt pretzels and beer.”

Rocotillos ~ They can be harvested and used in any of these stages. They can also be dried easily. Rocotillos have a fruity flavor with mild heat. They are delicious in Spanish or Mexican dishes such as soups, stews or salsa, and they make a great addition to side dishes, such as sautéed vegetables.

Charentais ~ A true French cantaloupe that originated in the Poitou-Charentes region circa 1920. Considered by many to be the most divine and flavorful melon in the world. Smooth round melons mature to a creamy gray with faint ribs. Sweet, juicy, orange flesh with a heavenly fragrance. 

Collective Farm Woman ~ This very popular treat from the Ukraine was discovered on the Island of Krim in the Black Sea. Melons ripen to a yellowish-gold and the white flesh has a very high sugar content, a favorite among heirloom gardeners and gourmets alike.

Crane ~ The famous California heirloom was introduced in 1920 by Oliver Crane . This delicious Crenshaw type melons has a pale orange flesh that is very sweet and fine flavored. Green skinned rind with orange spots when ripe.  

Hales Best Jumbo ~ Talk to seasoned gardeners; they still swear by Hale’s Best. It’s exceptionally sweet, thick-walled, and the seed cavity is small, so you can enjoy more delicious, mouth-watering fruit! 

Piel de Sapo ~ Also known as the Christmas melon for their ability to store until Christmas. These unusual melons, with the yellow and green mottled skin, are most commonly grown in Spain. The tend to be very sweet and aromatic.

Snow Leopard ~ Not only beautiful to look at on the outside, this melon is thin skinned, aromatic, crisp and delicious. Wrapping prociutto around bites of this summer treat will let you take a trip to Italy without leaving the veranda.

Atomic Red ~ Brilliant red carrots are very healthful and unique-looking.  The eight inch roots are high in lycopene, which has been shown in studies to help prevent several types of cancer. Crisp roots are at their best when cooked, and this helps to make the lycopene more usable. Very flavorful.

Danvers ~  A stocky variety with broad shoulders up to two inches wide and a tapered V-shaped root averaging seven to eight inches long. Carrots are a bright, deep-orange color.  A great variety for canning, freezing, storing, and makes a superb glass of carrot juice for a home-grown daily dose of beta carotene.

Cosmic Purple ~ Purple on the outside and bright orange on the inside these carrots are a real show stopper. 
Have trouble getting the kids to eat carrots?  Cosmic Purple to the rescue! This seven to eight inch carrot is sweet, tasty and coreless. 

Purple Sun ~  Whether harvested as a baby carrot or grown to full size, Purple Sun fits the bill. Unlike other purple carrots, it has a striking strong purple color from skin to core. The conical roots are highly pointed at the tip with flat to rounded shoulders. Antrhrocyanin is a flavanoid with strong evidence of health benefits in humans, and you guessed it, Purple Sun is loaded with it

Scarlet Nantes ~ Dates to the 1850s; original seed developed by Vilmorin in France. Cylindrical roots are seven inches long with blunt tips. Fine-grained bright red-orange flesh is nearly coreless. Great flavor, sweet and brittle. Good when used as baby carrots. Excellent for freezing and juicing. Widely adapted, stores well.

Yellow Solar ~ A Danvers type of carrot with roots reaching about six inches in length. Their bright yellow color adds a special look to your salads and entrées especially when combined with red, purple, and orange varieties. The golden hues are linked with good eye health. Yellow carrots originated in Afghanistan, Turkey, and the Middle East in the 900s.