Niki Jabour’s Veggie Garden Remix offers a refreshing alternative to the usual “that won’t grow there” refrain. She describes 224 Plants to Add Variety, Flavor and Fun and tells you what varieties grow well in short season, which plants like cool weather and thrive in it, and which need some help to get from germination until harvest. If she can grow these plants in Halifax, Nova Scotia then you may be able to grow them too.

Like spinach? These greens are great!

From top left clockwise: New Zealand spinach (orach), magenta spread, tricolor amaranth (sweet potato leaf), molokhia and purple amaranth.

Every section is introduced with a common vegetable and some interesting alternatives-spinach, in this case. Some of the suggestions have a higher heat tolerance than spinach and others are cold-hardier.

Niki also recommends some unusual varieties of vegetables that most people grow already, like carrots, beets, or peas. Many of the vegetables that she features are loved by cultures all over the world. Niki began experimenting with unusual vegetables when her Lebanese in-law identified the snake gourd Nike had grown as a Lebanese Summer Squash. Nike was unaware that the snake gourd in its immature state could be eaten. She planned to decorate her Halloween table with the mature gourd. Niki was inspired to search for other ethnic veggies she had been missing.

Cucamelons! Photo (cc)Niki Jabour

Cucamelons are one of her favorite discoveries. Cucamelons Melothria Scabra The Mexican sour cucumbers (also known as mouse melons or baby watermelons) are small cucumber-like fruit shaped like a watermelon with a cucumber taste and a hint of lemon, as described in the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog . Nike said her children love them so much that there aren’t enough to put in the kitchen. These look like a lot of fun!

Not for deer only

Most surprising were the vegetables that began in a flower garden. I had heard that sea kale and daylilies were eaten, but never hostas. Yes, hostas. You can find a few other garden flowers in her book. I’ll leave it up to you to discover what they are. Niki will also tell you when vegetables are beautiful enough to be planted in your flower gardens or pots on your deck.

You may have eaten something that was in this book. Mine did!

It’s called Cucuzza. I was reminded of the squash that my great-grandfather used to grow when I read this name. He called it gagootz or cucutz. Yes, it’s the same thing. Niki said that cucuzza grows all over the Mediterranean. I had to Google Sicilian Summer Squash to be sure. The majority of search results didn’t mention that it can be eaten at only one foot in length.

This book is for you if your garden has become a bit of a “been here, done that” affair, if unusual seeds in seed catalogs have you wondering if they are any good, if your grandparents talk about a particular vegetable, and if this is you. Even if you’re not a vegetable grower, this book is fun to read!