Trendy Veg

These are some trendy new veggies showing up in stores and in restaurants: 1. Black garlic: with the texture of a dried apricot,and twice the antioxidant content of raw garlic.I tried to find a way to make your own, but can't seem to find anything. All I could find out was that it is fermented at high heat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_garlic_%28food%29 http://blackgarlic.com/ Image is from the Feedbag.com 2.Lavender - no surprise here! I love herbes de Provence, and make a jar full every year. 3.Fig Leaves: for wrapping food and infusing with flavour before roasting. (to be removed before eating). My neighbour grows lovely figs, and I'm hoping I'll be able to 'borrow' some leaves! 4. Purple Carrots: just like purple potatoes, but these keep their colour when cooked. West Coast Seed Co. carries the seeds: http://www.westcoastseeds.com/productdetail/Vegetable-Seeds/Carrots/Purple-Haze/ 5.Chia Seeds , yes, the kind used to grow green pets. The seeds are high in omega-3's and can be added to granola, smoothies, and baking (like hemp seeds). From ehow.com : "Chias are what are know as "fire following plants." Ancient cultivators found that if they burned the plant after harvest, next year's crop was more plentiful. Sprinkle some burned remnants of the shrub over newly planted seed to quicken germination." They are native to Western North America, are drought tolerant, and will easily self-sow in a dry, sunny spot with porous soil in your garden.http://www.natural-healthy-eating.com/chia-seeds.html image from naturalhealthyeating.com 6.Dandelion Greens - my favourite and not too expensive or hard to find! who ever thought the humble dandelion would make it onto the 'it' list. 7. bite-sized Brussels Sprouts - I could only find seeds for these from the UK: http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/group/brussels+sprout.html Thompson and Morgan Seeds. I think I'll try growing Chia seeds,and if anyone finds a method for making black garlic, please send it along!