The Best Vegetables to Plant in Northern Utah
- Posted on January 22, 2016
Nothing says home quite like your own vegetable garden, and nothing makes home cooking better than produce fresh from your own backyard.
The vegetables in the list below are the best vegetables to plant in northern Utah, according to Utah County Online’s resources for gardeners. And to help you decide which ones are right for your garden, we’ve added the tastiest and most practical things to do with them.
Asparagus
Perfect for sautéing and as an ingredient in classic French-inspired dishes like quiche and savory crepes. It’s also a delicious veggie to add to soups.
Broccoli
Your classic steamed vegetable side dish, broccoli is also a fantastic addition to salads. It’s also a good candidate for freezing if you properly prepare and blanch it first to preserve the nutrients and texture.
Cauliflower
The rise in low-carb and gluten-free eating has lead to an explosion in recipes for cauliflower, from pizza crusts to faux mashed potatoes. Like broccoli, it’s also great on its own or in salads, and can be frozen for later.
Corn
There are few vegetables more versatile than corn. It’s another great veggie to freeze (after it’s cut off the cob and blanched). Perfect for chowders, salads, Tex-Mex dishes, and, of course, as a grilled favorite at your summer barbecue.
Eggplant
Of course eggplant has its own classic dishes like eggplant parmesan and ratatouille. But if you want to try something new, it makes an excellent meat substitute in all kinds of cuisines, from Mexican to Indian. Also good for freezing.
Endive
Planting these might well put you in the category of more adventurous vegetable-eaters. Try endive gratin, stuffed endive appetizers, or braised endive as a side dish for richer meats. You can also brush them with oil and grill them or add them to salads.
Kale
If you’re growing kale, you’re probably a salad person. But it’s not just another leaf to put dressing on. Add it to creamy soups, lasagna, or pizza. Stir-fry it, steam it, or bake up some tasty kale chips.
Onion
There are some things you shouldn’t add onion to, but it can be hard to come up with some. These versatile flavor-boosters improve everything from soups to spaghetti sauce to stir fry. And don’t forget grilled onions on your burgers—or the onion rings on the side.
You can freeze sliced or chopped onion, but once they’ve been frozen, they should only be used for cooking.
Summer Squash
These nutrient-rich vegetables are delicious roasted or sautéed, grilled on kabobs, and even made into bread. When you’ve tried those options, try puréeing it and adding it to soup for a richer texture and taste. It’s a great addition to soup in non-puréed form, too.
Tomatoes
From traditional to caprese salads, from pasta sauces and pizza sauce to homemade salsa and chili, so many of our favorite foods feature tomatoes. What’s better, many of those, like salsa and pasta sauce, can be prepared and canned to keep those fresh summer flavors on hand all year long.