What to plant

Dear Gardeners,

It’s time to plan your culinary garden. Before anything else, let’s figure out what to grow. My method is to work backward, from plate to plant. What are our favorite meals? What do I enjoy cooking? How do I enjoy cooking? Initially, my garden had one job: grow ingredients for condiments. Hot sauce, ketchup (Heinz, you win), chimichurri, zhug, pickled onions, pickled jalapeno, pesto, and so on.  For many, this is a ridiculous waste of time and they’d rather walk on glass than wash the food processor parts on eternal repeat. So, my friends, this is why a generic garden design downloaded for your zone isn’t helpful. (Also, hardiness zones aren’t for kitchen gardens so ignore those anyhow.) Your garden should support you, be integrated into your real life, maybe with a little sprinkle of aspiration.

Grab a piece of paper and start by writing down the meals you most often cook. Then, think about the ingredients that are ever present on your grocery list. What items does Instacart ask if you’d like to “buy again” or do you pick up weekly at the farmers’ market? Think through breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Last year, I realized my dreamy love of heirloom tomatoes isn’t rooted in reality. We may really adore a BLT or crave Ottolenghi’s Tomato Carpaccio with Spring Onion and Ginger Salsa (See photo. Google and bookmark NOW.) but we live on garlicky burst tomatoes (with pasta, rice, hummus, bread, eggs) and eat tomato sauce in every flavor profile once a week throughout the year. As I plan my tomatoes for the summer, I’m going to grow some beauties but focus more on sauce and grape varietals. (Also, we don’t snack on those wee little cherry types so they end up being chipmunk food, leading to rogue tomato plants throughout the yard. Done.)

**Update from 2024: my teenagers have fallen in love with sliced tomatoes so last year we grew over 20 large format tomatoes.

Growing together,

Kiera

Ottolenghi’s Tomato Carpaccio with Spring Onion and Ginger Salsa