Every seed has a story. Every harvest has a purpose.
Get to know the fruits, vegetables, and herbs growing in our community gardens. Discover what makes each crop unique, its nutritional benefits, how to store it, and delicious ways to bring it from the garden to your table.
Pro Tips
🧺 Store: Refrigerate unwashed kale with a paper towel to keep it fresh for 5–7 days.
🔪 Prep: Remove the tough stems and chop or tear the leaves before cooking.
🥗 Best For: Salads, soups, stir-fries, smoothies, and baked kale chips.
💡Did You Know? Massaging kale with olive oil and lemon makes it softer and less bitter.
🧺 Store: Remove the leafy tops before storing and refrigerate carrots in a sealed bag or container. They’ll stay fresh for 2–4 weeks.
🔪 Prep: Give carrots a good scrub under running water. Peeling is optional—many of the nutrients are just beneath the skin.
🥗 Best For: Roasting, soups, salads, stir-fries, snacking, or baking into muffins and breads.
💡 Did You Know? Carrots become naturally sweeter when roasted because their natural sugars caramelize.
🧺 Store: Remove the leafy tops before refrigerating. Store radishes in a sealed container or bag, and they’ll stay crisp for about 1–2 weeks.
🔪 Prep: Wash thoroughly and trim off both ends. Radishes can be eaten raw or cooked.
🥗 Best For: Salads, tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, pickling, or roasting.
💡 Did You Know? Roasting radishes mellows their peppery flavor and brings out a mild sweetness.
🧺 Store: Keep bok choy unwashed in the refrigerator in a loose plastic bag. For the best flavor and texture, use within 3–5 days.
🔪 Prep: Separate the leaves and stalks before washing to remove any dirt trapped near the base. Chop the thick stems and leafy tops separately since the stems take a little longer to cook.
🥗 Best For: Stir-fries, soups, noodle dishes, salads, or grilling.
💡 Did You Know? Both the crisp white stalks and leafy green tops are edible, making bok choy a versatile, low-waste vegetable!
🧺 Store: Keep broccoli unwashed in the refrigerator in a loose bag or container. For the best quality, enjoy within 3–5 days.
🔪 Prep: Rinse thoroughly and cut the florets into even-sized pieces for even cooking. Don’t throw away the stem—it can be peeled and sliced for stir-fries or roasted alongside the florets.
🥗 Best For: Roasting, steaming, stir-fries, casseroles, pasta dishes, or enjoying raw with dip.
💡 Did You Know? Broccoli stems are just as nutritious as the florets and are great for reducing food waste!
🧺 Store: Keep tomatoes at room temperature until they’re fully ripe. Once ripe, refrigerate them if needed to extend freshness, but let them come back to room temperature before eating for the best flavor.
🔪 Prep: Wash just before using and slice with a sharp serrated knife to keep the flesh intact.
🥗 Best For: Salads, sandwiches, pasta sauces, salsa, soups, roasting, or fresh snacks.
💡 Did You Know? Tomatoes continue to ripen after they’re picked, and cooking them can increase the availability of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.
🧺 Store: Remove the leafy tops before refrigerating. Store beets in a sealed bag or container, where they’ll stay fresh for 2–3 weeks.
🔪 Prep: Scrub beets well under running water. Roasting or steaming them with the skin on helps preserve moisture and makes peeling easier after cooking.
🥗 Best For: Roasting, salads, soups, smoothies, grain bowls, or pickling.
💡 Did You Know? Don’t toss the beet greens! They’re edible and can be sautéed or added to soups just like spinach.
🧺 Store: Keep zucchini unwashed in the refrigerator in a produce bag or container for up to 1 week.
🔪 Prep: Wash just before using and trim both ends. Smaller zucchini tend to be sweeter and have fewer seeds.
🥗 Best For: Grilling, roasting, stir-fries, pasta dishes, baking, or spiralizing into “zoodles.”
💡 Did You Know? Zucchini flowers are edible too! They’re often stuffed, baked, or lightly fried in many cuisines.
🧺 Store: Remove the leafy tops if attached and refrigerate parsnips in a produce bag. They’ll stay fresh for about 2–3 weeks.
🔪 Prep: Wash, peel if desired, and trim both ends. Larger parsnips may have a woody core that can be removed before cooking.
🥗 Best For: Roasting, mashing, soups, stews, or adding to root vegetable medleys.
💡 Did You Know? Parsnips become sweeter after they’re exposed to cold weather, which is why they’re especially delicious during the fall and winter months.
Care for Your Herbs Like a Pro!
🧺 Store: Keep basil at room temperature in a glass of water, like a bouquet of flowers. Avoid refrigerating it, as cold temperatures can cause the leaves to darken.
✂️ Prep: Wash just before using and tear or chop the leaves. Add fresh basil at the end of cooking to preserve its flavor and aroma.
🍽️ Pairs Well With: Tomatoes, mozzarella, pasta, pesto, pizza, lemon, and strawberries.
💡 Did You Know? Pinching off basil flowers encourages the plant to grow more flavorful leaves throughout the season.
🧺 Store: Wrap rosemary in a slightly damp paper towel and refrigerate it in a sealed bag or container. It can also be frozen for later use.
✂️ Prep: Strip the leaves from the woody stem before chopping. Fresh rosemary has a bold flavor, so a little goes a long way.
🍽️ Pairs Well With: Potatoes, carrots, chicken, lamb, roasted vegetables, breads, and olive oil.
💡 Did You Know? Rosemary keeps its flavor well during long cooking times, making it perfect for soups, stews, and roasting.
🧺 Store: Place the stems in a jar with a little water and loosely cover the leaves with a plastic bag before refrigerating.
✂️ Prep: Wash just before using and chop both the leaves and tender stems for added flavor.
🍽️ Pairs Well With: Pasta, potatoes, seafood, soups, salads, rice, and roasted vegetables.
💡 Did You Know? Parsley is often used as a garnish, but it’s also packed with vitamins A, C, and K.
🧺 Store: Place the stems in a jar with a little water, loosely cover the leaves with a plastic bag, and refrigerate to help it stay fresh longer.
✂️ Prep: Wash just before using and chop both the leaves and tender stems—they’re both full of flavor!
🍽️ Pairs Well With: Tacos, salsa, rice, curries, soups, beans, avocado, and lime.
💡 Did You Know? If cilantro flowers and goes to seed, those seeds become the spice coriander.
🧺 Store: Wrap chives in a slightly damp paper towel and refrigerate in a sealed container or bag. They can also be chopped and frozen.
✂️ Prep: Snip with kitchen scissors or finely chop with a knife. Add near the end of cooking to keep their mild onion flavor fresh.
🍽️ Pairs Well With: Eggs, baked potatoes, cream cheese, soups, salads, fish, and roasted vegetables.
💡 Did You Know? Chives are one of the easiest herbs to grow, and regular harvesting encourages the plant to produce even more leaves.
🧺 Store: Wrap thyme in a slightly damp paper towel and refrigerate it in a sealed bag or container. It also dries well for long-term storage.
✂️ Prep: Hold the stem at the top and gently pull downward to easily remove the tiny leaves before cooking.
🍽️ Pairs Well With: Chicken, beans, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, soups, stews, and roasted vegetables.
💡 Did You Know? Despite its tiny leaves, thyme has a bold flavor and is a staple herb in Mediterranean cooking.
