Longing for a taste of the old country? Colby Eierman, director of gardens at Copia, America's Center for Food, Wine and the Arts, in Napa, California, joins master gardener Paul James to show how to bring a little bit of Italy into your own backyard:
Flat Onions
The 'Bianca di Maggio' onion (figure A) is a cioppolini, or flat-type onion. To maximize the use of garden space, Eierman recommends densely planting bulbs in a loose, organic soil, spacing them about two to three inches apart (figure B).
At the "green onion" stage, when the plants have produced foliage but aren't flowering just yet, harvest every second or third plant by removing the plant, bulb and all, from the soil. The leaves can be used as scallions in flavoring or garnishing Italian dishes. The remaining onions are given enough room in the ground to develop into full size before they're ready for harvest where the bulbs can be used in cooking.
This technique can be used on a variety of crops, including carrots. "This approach to sowing or planting more densely and harvesting over the early, or baby, stage of the crop just makes for a longer harvest and bigger crop," says Colby. Also, since the onions are planted so close together, it helps to keep the area virtually weed-free by choking out unwanted seedlings.
Fava bean
The fava bean (figure C) is an excellent cool-season Italian crop whose beautiful red flower is not only attractive but also edible. "It has a subtle flavor, but it adds a beautiful color to a dish," he says.
The growing season for favas usually lasts about 100 to 120 days, depending on the variety. Plant them in the fall and spring, and enjoy the harvest all season long. Then save the seed for the next growing season.
Cauliflower
Romanesco cauliflower is another Italian veggie loaded with flavor. 'Veronica' (figure D) is a Romanesco type that produces a large flower head with a bright yellow-green color and interesting pattern.
Eierman's crop of Veronica cauliflower shows signs of pest damage on the leaves (figure E). After some detective work, he rules out cabbage loopers and slugs and determines that finches were responsible.
Many people would see signs of damage and immediately want to apply some sort of pesticide, whether synthetic or organic. In this case it wouldn't have done any good, because it's bird damage.
"Sometimes the most important time you can spend in your garden is when you're not gardening," says Paul. "As you stroll through the garden, you observe." Through careful observation, you can identify the culprit and make an informed decision on how to treat the problem, rather than guessing and treating the pest incorrectly. "Sometimes if you hold off on spraying, the beneficials may come in and attack the bug that's ravaging your plants."
Kale
Kale is an under-appreciated, cool-season vegetable that's loaded with vitamins and minerals. Lacinato kale (figure F) has black foliage that make this an ornamental edible Italian heirloom.
Cardoon
The striking silver foliage of cardoon (figure G) makes an excellent architectural accent and conversation piece in the edible garden. Unlike its cousin, the artichoke, the leaf stalks of the cardoon are harvested. Colby recommends cooking the stalks before eating. Otherwise, they have a bitter taste when eaten raw.
Rosemary
No Italian garden would be complete without rosemary. 'Tuscan Blue' (figure H) is one selection that has great flavor. Colby recommends using cut stems of this rosemary as skewers for grilling. To do this, simply cut one stem, about eight to ten inches in length, and remove the leaves, stripping them off with your thumb and forefinger. Use the bare stems for skewing and grilling meat or raw vegetables. The stripped leaves can be set aside for future use in flavoring Italian dishes.
Broccoli
Broccoli (figure I) is a cousin of the Romanesco cauliflower. This hearty Italian heirloom provides a consistent harvest throughout the growing season.
Escarole
'Florentia' (figure J) is one variety of escarole that Colby uses in his Italian heirloom garden. To plant, he recommends amending the soil first with compost. Then he adds some rock powder for re-mineralization, oyster shells for calcium that aid in good plant structure and feather and bone meal as additional fertilizer. He works these lightly into the soil for good tilth and plants the seedlings directly into the ground. He installs drip irrigation to ensure that the new transplants are sufficiently watered.
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