Here are some different types of vegetables to grow this season if you are feeling adventurous. One is a luffa squash. Grown for the luffa sponges you see at expensive retail stores. You can even eat the “zucchini-like” squash if picked under 6 inches or let get full-grown for the sponge.
Fennel is a licorice-tasting herb growing to 3 feet tall. I place them in containers as a filler plant. Snip and use the fern-like leaves in cooking. You can plant them into the garden and they get a bulb-like base that can be cooked and eaten. The seeds can be used for muffins and loaves of bread for an anise-like flavor.
Many have tried growing sweet potatoes. Make sure you get the early maturing ones like Georgia Jet or any other varieties maturing under 120 days. They will grow well in large tires (like the ones you feed or cattle in) or in loose, amended soil.
Kohlrabi is related to the cabbage family. It forms an apple-like bulb above the ground. The bulb can be eaten raw when young or cooked.
A winged bean is an actual bean. The pods have serrated, fleshy wings on the pod. Cook as a regular string bean.
Black carrots were grown well before the orange carrot. The black carrot is a deep purple. Higher in nutrients and cooked like a regular carrot. It keeps its color when cooked.
Cape gooseberry is a ground cherry looking like a little yellow tomato with a husk around it. Easy to grow and getting to 4 feet tall. Great for eating out of the garden.
Alpine strawberries as annuals grow well in containers, which I grow. The little strawberries are yellow or red with an intense strawberry and pineapple taste. You will get the little fruits all summer long.
I do not know why okra is not grown much around here. Easy to grow the 5-foot tall plants. With 6 plants, you will be harvesting every other day. Pick the pods under 6 inches and fry with a side of cornbread. My favorite variety is Cajun Jewel.