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Although it’s virtually fat-free and low in calories, when cooked in oil, eggplant absorbs fat like a sumo wrestler at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Which might explain why we find it so delicious.

Black mint isn’t an herb gone goth, but rather a type of peppermint that’s commonly used for tea and actually turns out to have more of a dark-purplish or brownish cast around the stem.

Gilroy has its garlic and Castroville its artichokes, but no one stakes a stronger claim to green chile peppers than Hatch, New Mexico, the self-proclaimed Chile Capital of the World.

The broad, flat, edible-pod Romano bean is also known as an Italian green bean, and as such, it’s often subjected to the thorough cooking Italians favor when it comes to vegetables, a realm where al dente rarely applies.

Although heirlooms get all the glory this time of year, not all tomato hybrids are inherently evil. Take the insanely sweet Sun Gold variety, for example. No less a member of the tomato cognoscenti than Mario Batali is a big fan.

In the steamy swelter of summer, when the thought of turning on the oven is anathema, there are few things more refreshing than sweet, juicy watermelon and cool, crunchy cucumber.

With zucchini and its globular, elongated, and crookneck ilk flooding the market, there’s no such thing as too many summer-squash recipes.

Sour cherries are compulsory for pie, but sweet ones like Bing and Rainier do well poached, especially in the company of classic companions like port and balsamic vinegar.

Fresh summer blueberries are a glorious thing. And so, it hardly needs saying, is pie.

Perhaps the subtlest member of the onion family, chives possess a relatively mild flavor that is a nice addition to salads, edible lavender blossoms and all.