Ever eat a rat’s tail?

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I love growing unusual plants. Sometimes, I buy vegetable seeds just to see what the plant looks like or discover how well it will grow in our climate, even if I've never eaten the vegetable and don't know if I'll like it. That's how I discovered kale, tomatillos and pattypan squash, which are now favorite garden staples.

This year, I'm trying several new additions and this is one of them. If this looks like a radish plant gone to seed in my onion patch, that's because that's what it is. It's called rat's tail radish, and unlike traditional radishes, you don't pull up the plant to eat the root in early spring.

This plant is supposed to grow and produce all season, even in the heat. It flowers, goes to seed and produces a seed pod, which looks like a rat's tail. Or a green bean, take your pick. Just don't bite into one expecting green bean flavor. It's pure radish - hot, spicy and quite tasty.

I don't know why they aren't more popular for home gardens, but it's probably going to become another garden staple for me.