Laurentian Rutabaga

Despite its name, the bulbous chervil should not be mixed with the common chervil (also known as French parsley or garden chervil). Only the root, which looks like a spinning top, is eaten; the leaves and the stem are toxic. This forgotten tuber has been grown in Central Europe since Antiquity. The flavour is sweet and delicate, reminiscent of potatoes and chestnut. It is usually cooked just like parsnip, as a side dish or as purée. However, overcooking it might render its flesh mealy. Bulbous chervil can be harvested when the leaves start to turn yellow and touch the ground. It is advised to wait a few weeks after harvest before eating the tuber, to give the time to the flavour to reach its full potential. The seeds are viable for about a year.   Package: About 150 seeds   Photo credit: https://www.fermedesaintemarthe.com/A-1380-cerfeuil-tubereux-ab.aspx  

Shelling pea variety dating back from the 1880s. The peas are round and sweet. This variety can be eaten fresh as snow peas or dry, and can also be canned or frozen. Early yields well-adapted to short seasons like we have in Quebec. Setting up nets or stakes can help with harvest as the plants can reach up to 1 m in height. Package: Around 30 seeds

Oriental radish, grows a very large and long pearly white root with soft skin and delicious flesh. Very popular in Asia, where even the leaves and the seeds are consumed. The radish can be eaten raw or cooked. In permaculture garden, it helps digging hard and clayish soils. Package: 40 seeds

Dark as the streets of Montreal deep into the night. Early, just as the arrival of winter over Quebec. Easy, to be grown in the field as well as in a pot on a Plateau balcony. Born in our field from a cross between 2 varieties, Black Crime and Teton de Venus, this tomato kept the dark colour of the former and the shape and density of the latter. It however yields much earlier than its parents, and produces much more. The variety is quite stable, but might still display some irregular shapes. We are keeping up our breeding work with the hope of creating a perfect tomato. The fruits are slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Our team carried a taste test and found a ...steak flavour! The foliage is regular, and the plant is not prone to diseases. Package: 35 seeds. Germination rate: 100%

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

Variety with a short foliage. The roots are round with bright red skin, and crispy with spicy and white flesh once you bite into it. Easy to grow, it can be harvested in the spring as well as in fall.   Package: 150 seeds Photo Credit: Semences du Portage