The Italian Kitchen Garden

BEAN (bush)

Marconi  55 days.  Green Roma type grows on upright plant.  Pick when small.  Very crisp and tasty.   Source:  SEE

BEAN (shell)

Cannelli White Kidney  100 days.  Classic Italian white shelling bean with large kidney-shaped seed.  Upright plant.  Source:  SEE SHU

BEAN (fava)

Extra Precoce A Grano violetta  Early Italian variety that produces long pods with 6 large purple beans.  Source:  BAK SEE

BEET

Chioggia (Barabietola de Chioggia, Candystripe) (OP) 54 days.  Named for a fishing town near Venice.  Italian heirloom.  2 ½” globe reveals rings of white alternating red.  Very sweet beet. Tops are edible too.  Source:  ANN BAK BOU BURP COM GOU PAR SEE SEED SHU SOU TERR

 Chioggia beet    Photo courtesy Burpee

BROCCOLI

Calabrese (Italian Green Sprouting) (OP)  58 days.  Italian heirloom.  Produces 3-6″ central head, plus many side shoots.  Source:  ANN BAK COM GOU SEED SOU

Calabrese broccoli   Photo courtesy Annie’s Heirloom Seeds

BROCCOLI RAAB (rapini)

Quarantina  28-55 days.  A small plant, 8-10″ tall.  Good flavor.  Good for summer and fall.  Source:  GOU SEE

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Mezzo Nano (OP)  110 days.  Name means “half tall” or short.  Small outer leaves, long 3′ stalk with many small compact, tender sprouts.  Source:  SEE TERR

Mezzo Nano Brussels Sprouts    Photo courtesy Terrior Seeds

CABBAGE (pointed)

Cour di Bue Grosso  65-70 days.  Conical head with tightly packed leaves.  3-4 pounds.  Italian heirloom that is nice and sweet.  Source:  ANN BAK GOU SEE

CABBAGE (red)

Cabeza Negra  75-85 days.  Deep red variety.  Large head.  The inner head has a rich red color and white veins.  The outer leaves are almost black.  Source:  GOU SEE

CAULIFLOWER

Precoce de Jesi  65-75 days.  Old Italian variety.  Snowball shape, but has yellowish color.  Originally from Venice.  Source:  ANN GOU SEE

CELERIAC

Del Veneto  95 days.  3-4″ across, fiberless, and tastes like celery.  Source:  SEE

CELERY

Dorato di Asti (Gigante Dorato, Giant Gildred)  98 days.  Slightly golden to light green in color.  Mild flavor and tender thin ribs.  Source:  GOU SEE

CHARD

Verde a Costa Bianca  55 days.  Green and silver.  Large head with huge leaves and thick white stem.  Excellent taste.  Source:  SEE

CHICORY

Grumolo Bionda  Light green grumolo type for fall growing.  Initial growth is an elongated head with large, rounded leaves.  After harvesting leave the root in the ground and in spring you will get the grumolo rosette.  Source:  SEE

CHICORY (radicchio)

Rouge De Verone (Verona Red) (OP) 80-85 days.  Red-green colored radicchio.  If cut back in spring it will produce clusters of small apple size heads.  Source:  BAK BOU BURP GOU SEE SOU

Rouge De Verone  radicchio    Photo courtesy Burpee

CHICORY (frisee) (endive-curled)

Riccia Pancalieri  Large, bright-green frilly leaves with large ribs and golden heart.  Source:  SEE

CHICORY (escarole) (endive not curled)

Pan di Zucchero (Pan di Zucchero Selerzione Borca)  Sugarloaf type with soft green outer leaves and crisp center.  Known for its sweetness.  Upright, light green with large, long and very tight head.  Source:  GOU SEE

CHICORY (cutting)

Asparagus (Puntarella, Puntarelle a Folia Stretta)  85 days.  Italian heirloom.  Resembles a dandelion on steroids.  Hardy, excellent for greens.  Very long slender leaves.  Source:  BAK SEE

CUCUMBER (slicing)

Tortarello Abruzzese  63-70 days.  Italians love melon cucumbers, and this is one of those.  Closely related to melons.  Picked small, they taste like a cucumber, let it grow and it resembles a squash or melon, turn yellow and get sweeter.  Light green with some ribbing.   Source:  GOU SEE

EGGPLANT

Bianca Sfumata di Rosa (Rotonda Bianca Sfumata Di Rosa, Romanesca)  75-120 days.  Big, round eggplant.  3-4″ wide and 4-5″ long.  White/pink color.  Creamy, non-bitter flesh with few seeds.  Source:  ANN BAK GOU SEE

Bianca Sfumata di Rosa  eggplant   Photo courtesy Annie’s Heirloom Seeds

FENNEL

Romanesco  85 days.  Classic fennel from Rome.  Large head with thick, tightly wrapped stalks.  Source:  SEE

GARLIC

Early Italian  Hardneck variety.  Large cloves.  Adapts to summer heat and keeps up to 8 months.  Source:  BURP

KALE

Cavolo Nero Lacinato 60 days.  The most popular kale grown in Italy.  Wrinkled dark green, almost black leaves with smooth edges.  Excellent taste, improves after frost.  Source:  SEE

LEEK

Gigante d’Inverno  120 days.  Large storage type leek.  Big plant, blue-green tops with white bottoms with a bit of a bulb at the end.  Cold resistant.  Source:  SEE

LETTUCE (blend)

Misticanza (Mesclun) All Lettuce  14 lettuce varieties for salads.  Includes cutting lettuces, romaines, Four Seasons, Rossa di Trento and others.  Source:  SEE

MELON (cantaloupe)

Zatta (Brutto Ma Buono, Ugly But Tasty)  71 days.  One ugly melon, but has intense, rich flavor.  Italian heirloom.  Source:  GOU

MELON (honeydew)

Italian Honeydew  86 days.  Rind turns from green to creamy white to yellow when ripe.  Source:  GOU

MELON (specialty melon)

Rugoso Di Cosenza  “Amarillo Oro” type melon from Italy.  Bright golden rind with ridges.  White flesh.  Source:  BAK

ONION (slicing)

Borrettana (Cipollini)  105 days.  “Cipollini” onion with classic button shape and translucent yellow color.  Used as classic pickling onion.  Long to intermediate day type.  Italian heirloom.  Source:  ANN GOU SEE SEED TERR

Borrettana  onion    Photo courtesy Annie’s Heirloom Seeds

ONION (red)

Rossa Lunga di Firenze (Long Red Florence, Long of Florence) 100-120 days.  Italian heirloom.  Long bottle-shaped bulbs, attractive red color.  Mild and sweet.  Best used for fresh eating.  Long day type.  Source:  BAK SEE SEED

Rossa Lunga di Firenze onions   Photo courtesy Annie’s Heirloom Seeds

PEAS

Telefono  62-68 days.  Climbing pea grows 5-6 feet.  Large pods with 7-10 peas per pod.  Grow on a trellis or fence.  Source:  SEE

PEPPER (sweet)

Corno De toro Rosso (Corno De Toro Red, Bull’s Horn)  75-90 days.  Italian heirloom , 6-8″, 2-3″ diameter long and deep glowing red.  Thin skin and thick walls.  Ideal to stuff, fry or grill.  Source:  ANN BAK BOU GOU SEE SHU SOU

Corno De Toro Rosso  sweet pepper   Photo courtesy Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

PEPPER (hot)

Pepperoncini Golden (OP)  50 days.  Also known as Tuscan peppers.  Trim upright 30″ bushes are loaded with slender, slightly wrinkled green to red peppers.  Pick when 2-4″ long.  Source:  ANN TERR

RADISH

Giant of Sicily  Large 2″ round, summer radish.  Sicilian heirloom.  Bright red.  Great taste.  Source:  ANN BAK GOU

SPINACH

Merlo Nero (Black Bird)  Italian spinach with crinkly, bright green leaves on big plants.  Source:  BAK SEE

SQUASH (summer, zucchini)

Striata D’Italia (Italian Striped)  50-60 days.  Medium-long Italian zucchini.  8-9″ long and somewhat thicker at the blossom end.  Skin is striped in light and dark green and some ribbing.  Does well in cool weather.  Source:  BAK GOU SEE

SQUASH (summer, misc.)

Rugosa Friulana (Wrinkled of Friuli)  Common squash in northeastern Italy.  Light yellow fruits are beyond wrinkled, they are warted.  Ugly, but taste good and the flowers hold well.  Full of flavor.  Source:  BAK SEE

SQUASH (winter)

Piacentina (Beret of Piacenza, Berrettina Piacentina)  100 days.  Italian heirloom from Northern Italy.  3-5 pounds.  Flattened round gray/green with tasty yellow/orange flesh.  Exceptional storage capabilities.  Source:  GOU SEE

TOMATO (slicing)

Costoluto Genovese (Costoluto Genovese sel Valente)  75-80 days.  19^th Century Italian heirloom.  Determinate.  Flattened and quite attractive with deep ribbing.  8-10 ounces.  Standard for eating and preserving.  Source:  BAK BOU GOU PAR SEE TERR TOT

Costoluto Genovese tomato   Photo courtesy Totally Tomatoes

TOMATO (paste/plum)

Red Pear 70-75 days.  An old northern Italian variety.  This is a beefsteak tomato with vertical ribs.  8-18 ounce tomato that is meaty with few seeds.  Excellent flavor.  Indeterminate plants produce heavy yields over a long period.  Source:  SEE

TURNIP

Milan (Rapa di Milano Colletto Viola, De Milan Rouge, Viola di Milano, Violet Top from Milan)  35-60 days. Buttery flavored baby turnip.   Sweet and tender.  Bright red shoulders.  Long storage.  Greens are sweet and mild.  Source:  ANN GOU SEE

Don’t forget to plant Italian herbs to go along with your vegetable garden.  Basil, parsley, anise, chives, dill, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and tarragon are all good choices.

Seed Sources

ANN  Annie’s Heirloom Seeds    AnniesHeirloomSeeds.com

BAK  Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds   rareseeds.com

BOU  Bountiful Gardens   bountifulgardens.org

BURP  Burpee   burpee.com

COM  Comstock Seeds   comstockferre.com

GOU  Gourmet Seed International   gourmetseed.com

PAR  Park Seed   parkseed.com

SEE  Seeds from Italy   growitalian.com

SEED  Seed Savers Exchange  seedsavers.org

SHU   R.H. Shumway’s   rhshumway.com

SOU  Southern Exposure Seed Exchange   Gardens@SouthernExposure.com

TERR  Terroir Seeds   underwoodgardens.com

TOT   Totally Tomatoes   totallytomatoes.com

For a more complete list of Italian seed varieties visit: www.postagestampvegetablegardening.com

© Copyright 2013 by Karen Newcomb