If you could grow only four vegetables....

[Primrose]

Which would you select, and why?

Interruption - Wow - Red Arrows have just flown immediately over our roof in perfect formation after their Anniversary Fly Past - what a wonderful sight!

I'd pick:
Onions (Can't possibly cook anything decent without them)
Swiss Chard - the only greens that don't seem to be attacked by pests & young leave are nice in salads,
Climbing beans, for fresh eating & freezing
Tomatos - for salads, cooking, and freezing into purree.

I asked because I was thinking about Zimbabwe and wondering what we'd try and grow if we were in those poor folks shoes to stave off hunger, when I suppose perhaps potatoes would have to be all our No 1 choices

[Mike Vogel]

I'd grow purple Cape cauliflower, celeriac, buttermut squashes and tomatoes. I'd get lovely soups and good anti-oxidants.

mike

[Johnboy]

Hi Primrose,
My choice would be;
Carrots, Parsnips, Runner Beans and I could never be without Purple Sprouting Broccoli.
JB.

[Primrose]

I think this is going to be one of those threads like picking a meal in a restaurant - once you've made your choice you just want to have a little "taster" of everybody else's meal !

[Stephen]

Tricky question Primrose:-
I am torn between vege which are always useful, such as your example of onions (with which I agree) or thse which have done well (the clump of rhubarb)
Am I allowed only one type of summer salad leaves? I would certainly choose these during the warmer months.
I certainly love purple sprouting, although my first attempt to grow it resulted in no crop whatsoever, which was very disappointing.
Lets include the rhubarb.
It would be hard to exclude potatoes, I suppose.

[Di]

My four favourites are courgettes, climbing french beans,leeks and carrots.

however, if I was growing for survival I would go for potatoes, broad beans (more protien), onions and a patty pan squash which could be eaten young or stored.

Can I throw in blackcurrants as the 'must have' fruit?

[retropants]

ooh, this is a toughie!
but from the top of my head, no time for thinking.....

tomatoes
garlic
leeks
spinach

phew, can't change my mind now. Wish the list could 5, then I'd add tatties too.

[Stephen]

Retro - sorry to be pedantic but:-
Knowlege is knowing that tomatoes are fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put them in a fruit salad.

[retropants]

aw shucks! you got me

[Bren]

Floury potatoes,spring cabbage,young carrots and tomatoes if tomatoes don't count as a vegetable then squashes would be my fourth. Bren

[mandylew]

potatoes,leeks,squashes,and a multi purpose eating/drying bean. Thats assuming its all i'm going to get to eat looking for year round harvest/ long keeping potential. However with freezers mentioned by others i'm assuming shops are allowed?, so if it was just to grow rather than just to eat, i'd probably go for the things that dont taste as good from the shops, kale, asparagus, beetroot and tomatoes and indulge myself at the appropriate times of year

[Tigger]

Tomatoes ( as a fruit if necessary!), potatoes, onions and mixed leaves.

[richard p]

it has to be stuff the shops dont do well or are relitavly expensive... sweetcorn is best fresh from the plant, cabbage is better fresh, mixed salad leaves (always plastered in pesticides), if we exclude tomatoes bought broad beans are allways dissapointing,

[Granny]

If we're thinking survival, then:
potatoes
leeks
tomatoes
beans
They either store well or crop for a long time.
-----------------
Granny

[piyush]

onions cause most of my recipes contain onion
coriander as I'm fond of its smell
cucumber and tomatoes as they can be used in most of the salads