"If I were starting out and I only had a possible garden the size of my kitchen table, I would plant it up with some nutritious, leafy greens," Coleman says.
His choice for homes in northern climes is Tuscan kale. "This is not the kale you were supposed to eat because it was good for you," he says. "This is the kale you want to eat." He suggests the Toscano variety.
In the south, collards are a good option, he says.
"Both types of greens can be used in a variety of meal situations, from sauteed with a little olive oil to complement your morning scrambled eggs, to dropped in a pot to perk up leftovers or soups.
Collards and Tuscan kale "will keep sprouting all summer if you pick the first leaves," Coleman says.
Broccoli is fairly easy to grow. It's a beautiful plant, Smith says. Even better, "anyone can grow broccoli if you start with little plants," he says. His favorite variety is Green Comet.