Slimy_0kra, you have another unusual vegetable on the way. Two unusual veggies volunteer in my garden every year; Martynia and Litchi tomato. Both are rather anti-social plants (Martynia for its smell, Litchi tomato for its thorns) but I always let a few grow if they come up in an out-of-the-way location... and that is all that is necessary for me to keep a supply of fresh seed. I love unusual greens. Swiss chard is my main green for freezing, but my #2 green is kang kong (a.k.a. water spinach), which is a morning glory relative grown for its edible leaves & shoots. The first planting is from seed, but after the first harvest, I root & plant the stems. After two such plantings, the final harvest of the summer is large - that one gets frozen for the winter. This is a great hot-weather substitute for spinach; as long as it is kept watered, it thrives on hot weather. If you are unable to find water spinach, sweet potato leaves are similar... not surprising, since they are both in the morning glory family. Not all varieties are good for leaves, though; the best ones for that purpose can be found in Asian markets, where you might also find water spinach. Both can be easily rooted from stem cuttings. Egyptian spinach (a.k.a. Saluyot, Molokhia, Jew's Mallow) is another reliable hot-weather green. The leaves are mint-like in appearance, and very mild in flavor. When cooked, the leaves are mucilaginous much like okra, so they are good for thickening soups. They also go great with fish. All of the greens above have something in common - the more you cut them, the stronger they get. Moringa is a fast-growing tropical tree grown for its edible leaves. They are very high in protein, and also have anti-biotic properties. This is probably not a good crop for those with limited space, since the yield is fairly low... but DW makes a soup from the leaves which is to die for, so I grow some every year. Many years ago, I grew some in pots to over-winter; but it was a pain to move those large pots in & out, so now I just grow a lot of plants in the garden, grown as annuals. They will reach 4-5 feet in height by the end of the summer, and yield 3-4 pickings. This year, I will be trying Caihua, a tropical climbing gourd that is edible immature. I have also grown Achocha (which is closely related) and found it to be rather tasteless, so I am hoping Caihua will be an improvement. Bitter melon is a vegetable I grow every year; while we eat a little, we give most of it away to some Filipino friends. It serves other important purposes in the garden: as a wind break (the vines densely cover the trellis); to both attract & isolate pollinators (it blooms continuously all summer); and for the scent of the blossoms, which is very fragrant. Some years I grow Mexican Sour Gherkin and West Indian Gherkin, but not this year. Anyone who has visited the Bean Forum knows I am a bean fanatic, so if a bean relative can be grown to seed in my climate, I will grow it. I am particularly fond of yardlong beans, and grow several varieties each year. Someone on another forum sent me a hyacinth bean which, if accounts are true, could be highly unusual. Most hyacinth beans are climbers, and because they only flower in short days (in or near September) they will not produce seed in Northern latitudes. This one, though, is supposed to be a bush variety which will bear seed in Wisconsin... so I am really looking forward to this trial. This year I will also be growing a yellow mung bean from the Philippines, and a large-seeded reddish-brown garbanzo. And "Madras", an edible-podded radish. Probably a few more oddities, but I've been growing some of them so long I no longer think of them as unusual. Here's a good group photo from one year: I started a similar "unusual vegetable" thread many years ago, but it seems to have fallen off the cliff. Edit: Found it, link below Here is a link that might be useful: Unusual vegetables This post was edited by zeedman on Sun, Mar 16, 14 at 23:56

this is one of my favs that I use with leftover or grilled chicken from the store - more of a warm weather meal. From The Splendid Table Almond Chutney Chicken in Lettuce Roll-Ups Ingredients: Chicken Salad: One 3-pound roasted chicken(take-out works here) 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice Grated zest of 1 large lemon Juice of 3 large lemons, or more to taste 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced, or hot sauce to taste 9-ounce jar Major Grey Chutney, cut into bite-size pieces if necessary 1/2 cup mayonnaise Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste 3 large stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1 cup whole salted almonds, coarse chopped Lettuce Cups and Herbs: 1 large head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried 1 large bunch fresh basil, washed and dried 1 large bunch fresh coriander, washed and dried 8 radishes, thin sliced 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced into thin rounds or 2-inch sticks Method: Pull the meat from the chicken carcass, discarding the skin and bones. Cut it into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl combine the onions, lemon zest and juice, jalapeno, chutney, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Fold in the chicken. Taste the mix for lemon, mayonnaise, and herbs, adding more as needed. Let it stand 20 minutes to blend flavors, or refrigerate overnight. To serve, blend the celery and nuts into the chicken mixture. Mound the salad at one side of a big platter. Pile up the lettuce leaves at the other side, and cluster sprigs of herbs in the center. Tuck the radishes and cucumbers next to the herbs. Put a few herb leaves in the bottom of a lettuce "cup," top them with a spoonful of the salad, a slice each of radish and cucumber, and roll up. Here is a link that might be useful: Almond Chutney Chicken in Lettuce Roll-Ups

We have been really enjoying parsnips this winter. This is a new vegetable for us. I had some at a Thanksgiving dinner over at a friend's house a few years back. This fall, I started making them for my own brood. Just roasted, with salt & pepper and a bit of olive oil, nothing fancy. So fragrant and delicious. At first the kids wouldn't touch them, but it was my mistake, I called them "parsnips", LOL. The next time I served them was the week of Halloween and I called them "ghost carrots" and they gobbled them up. Now, I get asked when are we having ghost carrots again.

I make several of the things listed here, but I also make the following: Chicken & black bean burritos: Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together: - 1 c. cooked chicken, pulled apart - 1 can black beans, drained - 1 c. sweet corn (I use frozen) - canned salsa to moisten everything - about 1/2 t. cumin and 1 t. chili powder Lay out six flour tortillas, and split the chicken/bean mixture equally among them, laying it in a stripe down the middle of each tortilla. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the chicken/bean mixture, then roll up and put side-by-side on a cookie sheet. Spread some more salsa and shredded cheese on the tops of the burritos, then bake for about 30 minutes, until hot. My other use for cooked chicken is stir-fry: Cut up about 1 cup chicken in cubes or smallish pieces. Then cut up whatever vegetables you have on hand, raw or cooked, into approximately even-sized pieces. I always use an onion to start, and will often use carrot, celery, broccoli, sweet red peppers, zucchini, whatever. Heat a wok or big frypan over high heat, and add about 2 T. oil. While this is heating, mix up a simple sauce of about 1/2 c. cold water, 1 heaping T. cornstarch, and some ground ginger and soy sauce. I mix it in a Tupperware container with a tight-fitting top so I can shake the mixture. Now, when the oil is hot, start adding vegetables. Start with the onions, cook until soft but not done, then begin adding other vegetables. Add the ones that need to cook longer first, and the ones that don't take long later. Add the chicken near the end, as you just have to heat it. Keep everything moving, using a spoon or spatula. When everything is cooked, turn down the heat to medium-low and add the sauce mixture. Cook for a minute or two, until it's hot and thickened. Serve over rice.