Champlain Vachon Bean

The roots have a very sweet taste, reminiscent of parsnip, and should be cooked. Savoured even at the royal table until the 17th Century, skirret then gradually fell out of favor. This decrease in popularity was probably due to the huge success of both carrots and beets, for which breeding brought spectacular improvements. Regardless, for permaculture gardens, skirrets remain a must. Easy to grow, its roots' soft white flesh will surely make it popular again. Package: 30 seeds * Must go through stratification in the fridge, please see the details below Here's recipe from 1460: "Take skirrets, parsnips and apples, and parboil them. Make a batter of flour and eggs. Cast ale, saffron and salt into it. Wet them in the batter and fry them in oil or in grease. Pour on almond milk and serve it forth." — From John Russell, Boke of Nurture, c. 1460

Also known as the "Montreal Market Muskmelon" or "Montreal Nutmeg Melon". This mythical green flesh melon with a nutmeg flavor has almost disappeared.

 

The earliest records come from the Jesuits, who cultivated this variety in the Montreal Plain in 1684. According to the Potager d'Antan : "this melon went through many selections during the 17th Century, before being introduced under the name "Montreal Melon", in 1870. In the 1880s, it was listed as one of the best seller in New England by American seed company Burpee".

 

Very popular at the beginning of the 1900s and until the 1950s, it was largely commercialized and grown by three families : the Aubin, the Décarie and the Gorman. But lack of labour force, rises in wages and the spreading of the city triggered its decline. As highways paved the island, it slowly faded from our collective memory. When farms vanished from Montreal, it risked being obliterated. Until a journalist found its trace in a seed bank, in the United States.

 

This melon is a living proof of our seed and food diversity decline. Save your seeds and share them.

 

Heirloom variety. Listed on Slow Food Canada's Ark of Taste.

 

Pkt : 12 seeds.

This bok-choy might be small, but don't underestimate its flavor! It is ideal for stir-fry. Its short but wide leaves are white, and end in a dark green spatulate blade. The numerous leaves form a dense base and a flared shape. It is easy to grow, tolerates the cold, and takes little space in the garden. Bok choy are rich in vitamin K, C, and A, and in magnesium, calcium, manganese, potassium, and iron. Package: 200 seeds

High-yielding yellow bush bean. Can withstand comparison with the Beurre de Rocquencourt. Delicious long yellow pods with black seeds. Can be eaten when young and tender or as a dry bean. Very productive over a long period of time, the more you pick the more it will give you beans. This old variety comes from Sainte-Hélène, Kamouraska County, where it has been cultivated since time immemorial by Rollande Labrie (born in 1923) and her family. We are proud to offer it and ensure its preservation. Wax bean originally comes from Algeria. Under the name Algiers Bean, it made its appearance in France in the 1840s. From then on, the French selected and developed many yellow wax beans with black seeds. The most famous one is the Beurre de Rocquencourt, named after a town near Versailles.   Package: 30-35 seeds

Determinate. This Italian variety gives plenty of long yellow fruits, very sweet but not too juicy. Perfect for sauces and canning. Do not let its funny name scare you. Package: 30 seeds

Ancient corn variety introduced in the U.S. during the 1890s. The plant can reach more than 2 m in height, and produces 2 to 3 cobs of 20 cm. The long and white grains are not organized in rows, but instead in a completely irregular way. The taste is delicate and sweet. Requires a longer cooking time to fully bring the flavour out. Delicious on the BBQ. Package: 60 seeds