Hot New Veggies
Take these fresh edibles from the garden to your kitchen.
1 Valentine tomato
SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM ‘VALENTINE’
You’ll “heart” this award-winning, sweet-tasting, deep-red grape tomato that matures early (55 days after transplanting) and holds on the vine without cracking or losing quality.
2 American Dream sweet corn
ZEA MAYS ‘AMERICAN DREAM’ This new bicolor variety was tested against a previous All-america Selections winner, Honey ‘N Pearl, and it came out on top. American Dream features excellent germination and tender, super sweet kernels.
3 Red Racer cocktail tomato
SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM ‘RED RACER’
These 11/2-inch cocktail tomatoes—larger than cherry or grape varieties— boast good flavor on a small-size plant. The 3-foot-tall, vigorous, highyielding plants perform well in containers.
4 Auntie Wilder pole bean
PHASEOLUS VULGARIS ‘AUNTIE WILDER’
Though it’s an heirloom, this bean is new to most gardeners. Brought to the U.S. from Sweden in the 1890s, it’s a vigorous climber with 7-inch dark purple pods. The sweet, tender, juicy pods took top honors in a snap bean taste test.
5 Jebousek lettuce
LACTUCA SATIVA ‘JEBOUSEK’
Brought from Czechoslovakia decades ago, this deer-tongue lettuce forms rosettes with dark green triangular leaves and is easy to grow. It won a Seed Savers Exchange lettuce taste test.
6 Mashed Potatoes squash
CUCURBITA SPECIES
It’s as pretty as it is tasty! This low-sugar white acorn squash grows 1- to 11/2-pound fruits. When baked and fluffed, it has the consistency and look of mashed potatoes. For the best flavor, harvest early.
7 Asian Delight pak choi
BRASSICA RAPA
‘ASIAN DELIGHT’
This cool-season veggie was a 2018 All-america Selections winner. It’s a mini variety that yields tender white ribs and dark green leaves. You’ll harvest more than with typical pak chois because it is slow to bolt.
8 Roulette habanero pepper
CAPSICUM CHINENSE ‘ROULETTE’
Red, thick-walled fruits taste citrusy and have habanero flavor, but no heat! Try this 31/2-foot-tall pepper, which has a very high yield (up to 100 per plant), in containers or in the garden.
9 Red Ember cayenne pepper
CAPSICUM ANNUUM
‘RED EMBER’ All-america Selections judges described this pepper’s thick-walled fruit as spicy and tastier than the traditional cayenne. It matures earlier than other cayenne peppers, so even if you have a short growing season you’ll actually get red ones.
10 Fresh Start beet
BETA VULGARIS ‘FRESH START’
If you love fresh greens, try this variety that’s grown only for the leaves. In 25 to 35 days, begin cutting off the leaves above the roots and repeat several times for an extended harvest.