oxheart

In addition to such classics as Early Girl, Beefsteak and Big Boy, she planted Cherokee Red, Black Beauty, Pineapple, Lemon Ice and Oxheart, which is pinkish, heart-shaped and big, “a pound or better,” Gow said.

Justin Yu, the chef and owner of Oxheart in Houston, said it’s better than the sparkling water he grew accustomed to drinking while doing internships in Europe.

For an inventive take on Texas ingredients, Shepherd favors the tasting menu at the Warehouse District's Oxheart, which offers dishes like mesquite-smoked cobia and preserved 'Purple Cosmic' carrots.

Meanwhile, the city’s dining scene is also heating up, with three of the city’s newest restaurants — Oxheart, Underbelly and Uchi — placing on national best-new-restaurant lists.

A visitor to Monticello donated the seeds of pointy-headed oxheart cabbage.