The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables

November 21, 2011
Heirloom veggies—the ones grandma and grandpa used to grow—are all the rage, and master gardener and garden writer Iannotti will hold the garden-gloved hands of those who are new to the old reliables. She selects a cornucopia of veggies from artichokes to zucchini, with emphasis on easy-to-grow. She also highlights standouts that exhibit 10 particular vegetable virtues, like beautiful (the stunning violet cauliflower Di Sicilia Violetto); classic (the timeless spinach Bloomsdale Long Standing); and unusual (rat’s tail radish deserves its name). In addition to profiling 100 heirlooms, Iannotti also appends a variety of helpful materials, including resource and reading lists, a glossary, and a basic guide to seed saving. This is a friendly introduction to the vast world of heirlooms, which are good for the palate and great for the planet. Adding seductive evidence to the case are 116 lovely color photos of vegetables at their peak, great veggie porn.

Starred review from December 15, 2011
To qualify as an heirloom, nationally recognized gardening writer Iannotti explains, a vegetable plant must be more than 50 years old, storied or historic, and open pollinated (no hybrids). Heirlooms are invaluable for their genetic uniqueness and because they have developed natural resistance to pests and diseases. Heirloom vegetables have been zealously reclaimed of late as gardeners seek to cultivate high-quality produce and recognize just how crucial it is to maintain biological diversity in the edible plant world. So what criteria did Iannotti use to select her 100 favorite heirloom vegetables out of today's great inventory? Taste. But as her 10 selection categories (aromatic, beautiful, classic, colorful, long season, prolific, spicy, sweet, unusual, and versatile) reveal, there is much more to consider. Each lively vegetable profile includes an analysis of its flavor, notes and tips on growing and harvesting, and pleasingly informative and artistic color photographs. Iannotti also offers Seed-Saving Basics to encourage gardeners to safeguard heirloom legacies. Iannotti's enthusiastic, handsome, and useful guide is, indeed, ideal for beginners, but it will also appeal to experienced gardeners and every cook interested in securing the most luscious and alluring vegetables.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)