I havent ever actually grown vegatables and whatnot but when i was a kid my dad did. Im not sure what foods are in season for growing right now but almost anything will grow in sourthern california. Cucumber, squash zuchinni lots of varieties of peppers garlic, looking long term: grapes, lemons, limes, oranges. strawberrys, tomatos of course, beets, carrots, radishes, im sure potatos would be fine in most environments. Just browse home depot for seeds or baby plants, or if your lucky and have a local nursurey (where i am we have one every 2 blocks, their built underneath the powerlines behind homes.)