Do think of doing 3 seasons of gardening in the same space. In other words, you can have a Spring garden, a Summer garden, and a Fall garden, one after another. Some veggies like cooler weather (Spring and Fall) and others thrive in the heat of summer. Typical choices:
Spring: These are somewhat cold-tolerant: beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collards, garlic, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, spinach and turnips.
Summer: These really like the summer heat: beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, okra, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes.
Fall: Do the Spring garden all over again.
Do plant herbs, too. They are pleasant, fragrant, simple, and take up very little space. Try just a couple plants seach of rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme. Chives and garlic are *so* easy to grow. Mint is easy--- almost TOO easy. If you don't use a firm hand, it will run up and down, sneak under fences and invade neighboring territory.
And by all means, plant basil. Tuck it right in among your tomatoes. They love each other! :o)
Re herbs - agreed! Plant some perennial herbs like oregano and chives - they will practically grow themselves; you’ll only have to keep up with them so they don’t spread too much. Mint - ONLY grow in buried containers or they will take over everything and they are impossible to eliminate. They’re currently the bane of my existence on the best gardening side of our house, thanks to the previous owner who planted a ton on purpose (can’t understand why). Same with lemon balm and bee balm - avoid it!
Annuals - basil is fantastic - and easy - in containers, rosemary too, and dill, while an annual in some places, will actually overwinter in colder, snowy climates. I’m in NE OH and my dill comes back, parsley too. Currently we have 2 kinds of oregano, 2 kinds of parsley, chives and dill that come back each year.
Invest in a cheap dryer and enjoy fresh herbs all year long - fresh dried herbs are so much more flavorful and aromatic than store-bought. Like so many other home grown things, there simply is no comparison. Cilantro, though, loses basically all smell and flavor unless used fresh.
Starting with herbs when you are just starting out builds great confidence. For several years I did nothing but tomatoes and herbs, a great foundation. Added four 4x4 raised beds this year with mixed results - a great learning experience. And that’s the thing - no matter how you succeed or fail, you learn so much, which means it’s a success regardless.