Common garden vegetables have long and fascinating histories. Science and history writer Rebecca Rupp will join us via Zoom to discuss the stories behind many of our favorites, among them the much-maligned tomato and potato, the (mostly) popular pumpkin, and Vermont’s dynamic duo of kale and Gilfeather turnip.

Find out why a lot of us don’t like beets, how a 17th-century pirate named the bell pepper, how carrots won the Trojan War, and how George Washington was nearly assassinated with a plate of poisoned peas.

This talk is free, open to the public, and committed to being accessible to those with disabilities. This virtual event is slated to feature a live caption option via Rev. If you have questions/concerns related to accessibility, or require accommodations in order to participate, please reach to Meg Malone at meg@carpentercarse.org.

“Wolf Peaches, Poisoned Peas, and Madame Pompadour’s Underwear: The Surprising History of Common Garden Vegetables” is a Vermont Humanities program hosted by Carpenter-Carse Library. (Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or Vermont Humanities.)