ive just read the RHS allotment book -

well as you can see from the title ive just read my RHS allotment book and found a section on veg that you cant buy! well having a scan through ive seen a few unusual varieties:

- hop shoot
- radish seadpods
- tomartillo

the source of the seeds isnt a problem (there on ebay), but i wondered if anyone has grown anyone of the above and what they grew and tasted like?

Munchen Bier is the one that people grow for radish seed pods, this old post makes interesting readin 

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=41983.0

yep just read that old post (thanks MOS)

as to answer your questions yorkie, hop shoots are the  young stems off of a hop plant, apparently they are a good alternative to asparagus. no the radish seed pods arn't formed when a radish goes to seed - its a totally different plant. and i think i got the spelling wrong on tomartillo - it is spelt tomatillos.

have any of you got the book - if not i would strongly recomend it, along with carol kliens 'grow your own veg'!