[Cavolo Nero]

I've been Reading about these and getting quite interested. How good are they to grow - and which is best?

[amanda81]

I'm quite interested myself and have bought the seeds to start a bed with both - interested in replies to this thread and hope to stay in touch with others growing what sounds like a pair of interesting veg!

[boosh]

This will be the first time i've tried these two veg, on the advice ot another allotment holder.
the two varietys i'm trying.


Salsify - sandwich island

scorzonera - duplex

i,ll let you know how they go 

[Swing Swang]

An aquired taste. They grow pretty well in my garden, and crop well. Can't say that one type is much better than the other. I don't like them enough to try them again and I don't know where they get their 'gourmet vegetable' status from. But don't let that put you off.

SS

[sunshineband]

My daughter gave me a packet of scorzerona seeds for Christmas. Never grown this veg before. Variety is Geante Noire de Russe, and the diagrams on the back indicate that the seeds should be sown outside from March to July, 1.5 cm deep.

Thin plants to 5cm apart, and crop fro, August onwards (presumably not from the July sowing  )

Roots are supposed to grow 30 cm in length.

PS Are they actually different, because the packet also calls this veg Black Salsify? 

[gillie]

I guess your packet is a Seeds of Italy one.  They call salsify white salsify and indeed it has a white skin on the roots, while Scorzonera, which is from a different family, has a black one.  They taste very similar.

To be honest I have grown both but not had much success.  For me salsify forks dreadfully although I can grow a decent carrot.  I have had trouble germinating scorzonera but the year I got it going it was good.  However it is from the dandelion family and if you leave the tip of the root in, and they go down pretty deep, it will re-grow the following year.

We like eating them.  I par boil them in their skins, peel them and then brown them in butter.  I am going to try salsify in a tub (as some on this site suggest for parsnips) this year.

Cheers,

Gillie

[sunshineband]

Thanks for clearing this up for me gillie.  They don't look like Seeds of Italy packaging but at least I know why they are named as they are 

I also hadn't realised the relationship to dandelions but I guess it doesn't matter if a bit grows again the following year 

[Kristen]

Some similar chatter in another thread - in case you have not seen it:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=51545.msg611958#msg611958

[Torreya]

Isn't it strange how we all like different things? OH and I have grown both for the past 5 years and absolutely LOVE them both!! If you do leave them in the ground, they will regrow, but don't bother, because they turn too woody and tasteless!!
They're easy to cook, just peel, slice, keep in iced water or they'll go a dismal brown colour, and saute lightly in butter.
We're also trying Hamburg Parsley this year. Anyone know what it's like??