Job’s Tears

Indeterminate. Italian red tomato. Heart-shaped fruit with a pointed tip, which inspired its name. Flavorful and dense flesh, perfect for sauces and sandwichs. Very good yields, although it is a late season variety. It is resistant to diseases and will handle transportation and manipulation, I would recommend it for vegetable markets. One of our top 3! Package : 35 seeds.

Cyperus esculentus Tigernut, or earth almond, is a crop cultivated for its edible tubers. The small roots have an almond or coconut taste. Also called yellow nutsedge, the plant is considered a pest in some regions. In Southern Ontario, farmers are desperately trying to get rid of the invasor, in vain. In Quebec, the winters are too cold, the plant dies and cannot reproduce. Tigernut is used in the preparation of a sweet, milk-like beverage, known in Spain as horchata de chufa. In Africa, it is common at local markets. People eat it as a snack, just like peanut or coconut. It is also used to produce oil, juice, and flour. It is one of the oldest plants grown in Ancient Egypt. Tigernut was probably an important food source at the time. For instance, during dynastic periods, it was used to make cakes.

Native to North America. The strawberry blite is one of those forgotten vegetables that are making a strong comeback to our gardens. It is grown both for its leaves that can be eaten raw in a salad or steamed, and for its red berries. Although, do not be mistaken: despite their appearance and the name, these berries taste more like beets than strawberries. The fruit should be eaten in moderate quantities as the seeds contains some toxic compounds. The fruits were also used by Native Americans to make a red dye. Package: 50 seeds

Edamames are originally from Asia. They remain fairly unknown in Quebec, despite how easy they are to grow. It's a soybean eaten before reaching full maturity, and thus still green. They have a subtle hazelnut flavor and are very nutritive. The Black Panther variety has high yields and is well-adapted to the Quebecois climate. Package: 30 seeds

When it comes to common purslane, saying "ancient vegetable" is an euphemism; purslane was known by the Egyptians 4000 years ago. It was then, like many other plants, "forgotten". It is nonetheless making a comeback on our market shelves thanks to market gardeners growing ancient varieties. In a salad or mesclun, purslane is eaten fresh. Its leaves are tender and filled with omega-3 and antioxidants. It is also emollient, detoxifying, diuretic, and laxative if eaten in large quantities. Chewing on a couple leaves will soothe gum inflammation and mild sore throats.   Package: 500 seeds

This rare corn variety was shared with us by Steve McCumber, founder of the Haudenosaunee seed saving group. It comes from the Winnebago nation, who has been cultivating it for generations on their land, now known as Wisconsin and Illinois. The Winnebago corn is a flour variety. The kernels are creamy white, sprinkled with blue spots. You can try to eat it fresh if you wish, but the taste won't be as sweet and the texture will be more fibrous than the corn cobs you usually find at summer corn stalls. It will however be best used to cook cornbreads, polenta or hominy. Ancient and rare variety, please share! Package: 40 seeds