Green beans

“They’re almost like a weed,” Parrish says. “The more you pick, the more they seem to sprout.” Green beans are also easy to prepare. Cook three minutes in boiling water, then blanch for three in cold water and they’re ready to go to the table for dinner or the freezer for storage.

Peas

“Peas don’t require a lot of worry,” Cohen says. “It’s a great way to get started.” Peas can be planted as early as April, when the temperature is still in the 40s and 50s. They grow easily — so easily in fact, you may want to invest in an inexpensive trellis to encourage them to grow up rather than out.

Peppers

Most varieties of pepper do well grown in containers. They also produce a bountiful harvest. “I end up giving away lots of peppers,” Olson says. Go beyond bell peppers to try habañeros and other spicy varieties, which dry well for use over the winter.

Perennial herbs

Oregano, rosemary, thyme and sage are hardy perennials, meaning your one-time investment in seeds or a small plant can help you save for years. Just clip off what you need before you start cooking, Cohen says.

Salad greens

Lettuce likes cooler temperatures and thrives during the spring and fall. But it can last throughout the summer if planted in a shadier spot. Finn likes to plant several types of salad greens so she can mix something buttery (like lettuce), spicy (mustard greens) and bitter (arugula). “Don’t cut the whole head off to harvest,” she says. “Just peel off the outer leaves.”

Strawberries

“You’re not getting enough to make jams, but it’s enough to put a few in your cereal,” Finn says. That is, if you can wait long enough. (Frugal Foodie likes to eat them straight from the plant.)

Tomatoes

Tomatoes can be tricky to grow from seed, so novice gardeners should start in May with seedlings, Cohen says. Use stakes for support, allowing the plants to save space by growing upward. Even windowsill gardeners can try tomatoes — cherry varieties grow especially well there.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner.

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