Cherry Belle Radish

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.

Root parsley, the lesser known cousin of the curly and flat parsleys, is mainly grown for its hefty white root. This root's taste is very mild and sweet, and it can be cooked just like carrots, celeriac, or parsnips. The fragrant leaves can also be eaten just like common parsley, but should be harvested in moderate amounts to avoid weakening the root. Package: 50 seeds

Coy in the garden, salsify can be mistaken for grass when still young. But its hardiness and lack of pests makes it a wise choice for enthusiasts of curiosities. Not the highest-yielding plant but its taste, somewhere between hazelnut and parsnip, widely makes up for it. It's also a true sundial: as soon as the first lights of the sunrise appear, the flowers will open towards the sun, and will then follow it for the whole day, until it sets. It is from the same family as dandelions. The roots are tender and do not have a hint of bitterness, as long as harvested before the flowering stem starts to grow. The leaves are also edible. When the flower buds start appearing, on the second year, it is possible to eat them just like with viper's grass. Culinary uses: -raw roots chopped for salads, -cooked roots sliced (with white wine to avoid blackening), -young leaves in a salad, -cooked leaves as vegetables, -raw flower buds in a salad, or cooked as vegetables. Package: 25 seeds