The Oracle Santa Clara Victory Garden is full of life and flavor this 2018 Spring/Summer season! Here’s what you can find during your next stroll through the Victory Garden:
SPECIALTY
- Sugar Pie Pumpkin- super sweet flesh commonly used in pies
- Pepino Melon- multi-colored eggplant relative with a subtle cucumber and melon flavor
- Glacial lettuce- slightly salty, citrusy succulent with large juicy leaves
- Mammoth sunflowers- grows almost 10 feet tall and produces edible seeds
- Navel orange- full of sweet, citrus flavor without seeds
- Meyer lemon- sweet lemon variety used in desserts, salads, and beverages
- Kumquat- small, sweet citrus fruits with edible skin and zest- can be eaten whole
PEPPERS
- Shishito- Japanese sweet pepper, commonly pan blistered or grilled
- De Arbol- great drying or salsa/sauce pepper
- Sweet Chocolate Bell- sweet chocolate-colored bell pepper commonly used in salads
- Thai Dragon- 6 times hotter than a jalapeno, multiple culinary applications
- Giant Aconcagua- multi-colored, grows up to 12 inches long and is as sweet as an apple, commonly stuffed, grilled, roasted, or eaten raw
- French Ampuis- lantern shaped red sweet pepper with a mild heat
TOMATOES
- Julia Child- pinkish-red beefsteak variety commonly used for salads, sandwiches, and slicing
- Black Pineapple- 1 lb multi-colored fruit with a sweet and citrusy tang
- Purple Cherokee- large dark purple fruit with deep, sweet flavor
- Green Zebra- medium size green striped fruit, sweet and tart
- Sungold- sweet cherry variety, great eaten right off of the plant or in a salad
EGGPLANT
- Black Beauty- large black fruit, commonly breaded, fried, grilled, or sautéed
HERBS
- Chives- crisp green onion flavor with edible purple flowers
- Tarragon-flavorful addition to numerous sauces, dips, soups, roasts, and beverages
- Savory-flavorful addition to numerous sauces, dips, soups, roasts, marinades, and spice rubs
- Thyme- flavorful addition to numerous sauces, dips, soups, roasts, marinades, and spice rubs
- Purple sage- purple leaves commonly fried in oils or bacon fat to make a crispy, savory garnish
- Berggarten sage- large, silver leaves that are commonly fried in oils or bacon fat to make a crispy, savory garnish
- Stevia- naturally sweet plant used in lieu of sugar to sweeten dishes and beverages
- Dill- flavorful addition to numerous sauces, dips, soups, roasts, marinades, and spice rubs seeds used for pickling
- Bronze leaf fennel- anise flavored, feathery bronze and copper fronds- used with roasted fish, seeds used for baking and spice mixes for meats
- Purple basil- use in pesto and pasta dishes for color and intense basil flavor
- Wild Magic basil- aromatic and colorful variety with edible flowers, sweet flavor with milder intensity than Genovese basil
- Thai basil- aromatic variety with strong flavor profiles of anise and clove, edible flowers.
- Sweet basil- perfect for pesto, pasta salads, dips, and caprese
- Genovese basil- perfect for pesto
- Spice Islands rosemary- use fresh or dried in sauces, dips, soups, roasts, marinades, and spice rubs
- Lemon verbena- sweet, aromatic lemon flavor- great in sauces, soups, desserts, and beverages
- Parsley- staple herb used in numerous culinary dishes
EDIBLE FLOWERS
- French Marigold- bright orange aromatic petals, great for garnishes and beverages
- Borage- bright blue flowers with intensely sweet cucumber flavor, great for garnishes and beverages
- Nasturtium- bright red, orange, and yellow flowers with a spicy mustard-like flavor. Great for garnishes
CUCUMBERS
- Slicing- great pickled, raw, or in beverages
- Tasty Jade- great pickled, raw, or in beverages
MELONS
- Cantaloupe- sweet flesh works well eaten on its own, in a beverage, or dessert
- Watermelon- sweet flesh works well eaten on its own, in a beverage, or dessert
SQUASH
- Zucchini- great grilled, sautéed, roasted, or eaten raw
- Spaghetti- seeds planted by Chef Eric
BEANS
- Green Fortex- works well in stir fry, roasts, sautés, or eaten raw