Food & Wine USA - (02)February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021 83

SEEDS OF

CHANGE

One of the most exciting

elements of home

gardening (and dining in

top restaurants) is trying

new types of familiar

vegetables and herbs.

Gardener-to-the-chefs

Sara Gasbarra shares

her favorite varieties to

enliven simple cooking.

JAGALLO NERO KALE
“I think of this variety of
kale as the fancy cousin
of the more widely rec-
ognized cavolo nero (aka
lacinato), and I adore it
for its deeply lobed leaf
structure,” Gasbarra
says. “The bluish-gray
foliage curls a bit when
maturing, making it beau-
tiful for raw or quickly
cooked preparations. It’s
quite cold tolerant and
becomes sweeter after a
light frost.”
S O U R C E I T: Baker
Creek Heirloom Seeds
(rarese eds.com)

BLACK CHERRY
TOMATO
“The Black Cherry has
consistently been at the
top of my tomato list,
and I try to include one
in every garden I build,”
Gasbarra says. “A single
plant can yield hundreds
of purple-hued fruits. The
vines are vigorous, so
proper staking and space
are necessary. I love
them straight off the vine
or halved with fruity olive
oil and flaky salt.”
S O U R C E I T: Seed Savers
Exchange (seedsavers
.org)