Go beyond backyard mint and potted basil this summer. For a garden that reads more like a restaurant menu, try these six chef-approved plants. Want to get planting? You can find all of the seeds below at rareseeds.com.
What You Need to Know: A fragrant and somewhat fragile Japanese herb with a minty, basil-y flavor. The common sushi garnish is equally at home in a leafy salad or added into pesto. Available in both red and green varieties.
Growing Info: An annual plant, shiso can grow anywhere that basil thrives—a dedicated bed or even a large window box.
Spotted: Chicken meatballs with shiso and basil at Orsa & Winston, L.A.
What You Need to Know: A sweet, thin-skinned Italian pepper that’s light and fruity when raw, but especially shines when fried. It’s named for the son of Italian immigrants who came to the U.S. with little beyond a handful of seeds for their favorite pepper.
Growing Info: Just add summer. Bonus: This variety is much more forgiving than bell peppers, which need particularly long stretches of sunlight.
Spotted: Suckling pig with Jimmy Nardello peppers, charred onions, and persimmon at Upland, NYC.
What You Need to Know: Looks like something out of The Lorax, tastes of sweet licorice. Best as a garnish—try it with cucumber salads or seafood, or steep it in hot water for a delicious tisane.
Growing Info: This low-key perennial is a gardener’s friend: It attracts pollinators like bees, is deer-resistant, and grows in almost any climate.
Spotted: Coconut-peach cake with anise hyssop ice cream at Marlow & Sons, Brooklyn.
What You Need to Know: The name is literal: It’s the root of the herb. (Some varieties are all about the leaves, others are about the roots.) It looks just like a parsnip, but the taste is more like a celery root/carrot/parsley hybrid. Delicious roasted or in a gratin.
Growing Info: Plant the seeds in a dedicated bed in the fall and they’ll pop up in the spring.
Spotted: Partridge with parsley root at The Clove Club, London.
What You Need to Know: Don’t judge a fruit by its shriveled husk. Sweet-tart ground cherries taste like a wonderful tropical mash-up of pineapple, passion fruit, and mango. Eat them raw by the fistful or baked into a pie.
Growing Info: This sprawling plant pretty much grows itself in moderate climates. Use stakes to keep things tidy; it grows about 3 feet tall and up to 5 feet wide. When fully ripe, the fruit drops—you guessed it—to the ground.
Spotted: Ahi tuna with orange and dried ground cherry gastrique at Andina, Portland, OR.
What You Need to Know: Does it get any prettier than the watermelon radish? Less peppery than its siblings, it’s also a hit with chefs for its vibrant magenta center. Shave one onto your next salad for automatic Instagram likes.
Growing Info: A terrific vegetable for beginners. Two months after planting, taste a few: If you find them too spicy, wait some more. The longer you leave them in the soil, the milder and denser they get.
Spotted: Kimchi, pickles, and watermelon radishes marinated in soy and sake at Parachute, Chicago.