Sounds like a fun thread for folks.

I always urge gardeners to be open to trying new things but if there is something you really do not like, then do not waste your time or the garden space growing it. Use that space for varieties and types you really like.

"Would it be crazy to grow cooking beans (navy, pinto, black, kidney, ...?)" - No crazier than growing anything else. Anything you grow can be be acquired fairly cheaply at the grocery store, the fact that a person can buy a bag of soup beans for a buck should not enter into the equation. Would I rate growing them high on the priority list if garden space were at a premium? Probably not, and I say this as a person who enjoys growing them every year.

-Tom

Peppers, off the top of my head and without getting off the couch to check notes New Ace, King Arthur, Pinot Noir have produced well for me and we like the flavor. Carmen is a bulls horn type that is very tasty, ripens to red. Look for varieties suited to a short growing season. The last two years Beauregard has done well for me, a raised bed will be helpful in getting the soil warmed up for them. Most varieties will cover a lot of ground once they get going. I believe it's Vardaman (sp) that is more of a bush type but have never grown them so don't know about flavor or productivity. Don't forget you will need to cure them in a warm humid place for 7-10 days. Curing helps them keep in storage and converts the starches to sugars, developing the flavors.
Onions, starting with plants will get you off to a good start. Copra is an excellent storage onion, Walla Walla's do well but are best used within approx a month of harvest. Big Daddy produces very large onions that will store for 3 or 4 months. Again onions that you plan to store need to be cured.

As much as possible your garlic should be rotated to a different bed each year, you might want to put your onions an garlic in the same bed and move them each year to a different bed, Rotating crops is always a good idea if possible.

I am more of a tomato cucember person and out of all my different varieties planted last summer here is the two that were my most peasent surprises

Tomatoes:
-green zebra, very unique taste, sweet with sharp bite, loved it for fresh eating

Cucembers:
- Palace King Hybrid, was really productive for me, had fresh cucs until mid october, crisp, for fresh eating

I'm not a fan of the cucumbers I have tried (mostly supermarket.) They remind me of the rind of a supermarket honeydew. If they have as much improvement in flavor as tomatoes, I'm in, otherwise, I may just go with a small variety for pickles.

Tom,

Do you use the cooking beans fresh? Any improvement in flavor vs dry/canned?