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In
case you haven’t noticed, Mother
Earth News has returned to its roots as a how-to guide for
living wisely with the land. Lots of changes have taken place in
terms of what the magazine covers, and how it does it. Among them:
Mother
Earth News will publish a series of articles on best
tasting vegetables, starting in 2003. I’ll be the series editor.
Mother’s
"Cream of the Crops" series will profile varieties
nominated by gardeners from across the continent. The primary
criteria for inclusion is flavor. What we’re trying to do is
identify the best tasting vegetables as determined by real
gardeners and market growers, rather than by a panel of
"experts."
Mother
Earth News invites all of you to nominate varieties with
exceptional flavor by contacting me at, Brook Elliott, Box 519,
Richmond, KY 40476, BrookBarb@aol.com.
Nominating
your favorites is simple. All we need from you is the name of the
variety, and why you think it’s the best tasting of that
vegetable type. We’re dividing vegetables into several
categories, and you’re certainly welcome to nominate in more
than one of them.
The
categories are: Solanaceae (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants);
Cucurbits (cucumbers, squashes, melons); Brassica (broccoli,
cabbage, cauliflowers, kohlrabi), Legumes (all peas and beans);
Roots (all roots, even though they belong to other families,
including turnips, beets, carrots, salsify, potatoes, radishes,
etc.); Garden Greens (lettuce, spinach, rocket, mustard, kale,
chard, mache, etc.); Alliums (garlic, onions, leeks, shallots);
Corn; and Miscellaneous (all common veggies not included above,
such as okra, celery, grains, etc.).
We
need you to actually describe the taste. Don’t merely say,
"it’s good tasting." Tell us why; using terms like
full bodied, meaty, sweet, acidic, earthy, complex flavor, firm
texture, juicy, tender, and so forth. In other words, convince us
and our readers that we’ll agree with your choice. Here, for
instance, is how I would describe Cherokee Purple tomatoes:
"An earthy, complex flavored tomato, sweet and acidic at the
same time; decadent with an overlay of sin. Firm fleshed, with
enough juice to be a good slicer, but not so much that it makes a
watery sauce."
You’re
certainly welcome to nominate in more than one category. As soon
as I hear of your interest, I'll send you detailed instructions
for nominating your favorites.
I’m
really excited about editing this new series. But it won’t work
without your help. So, if you’re interested in contributing, be
sure and let me know, and I’ll send you the details right away.
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