The leek

#leek #vegetablegarden #garden #gardener #harvest #winter #consumelocal

We didn’t wait long before this new year in the garden began… But should we still hang around… Or do the leek?

Leek, you know? In French, It is a verb which means: to stand there, without moving, waiting for someone who does not come. In some cases, the leek is close to the pigeon… And doing the leek also means standing, motionless, waiting for orders… When we say that the orderly is doing the leek, there is no connection with the garden! The ordely is not the plankton (in French, it’s the same word) and even less the action of planting, the phonetics are identical, but the meaning is different. The French language is not easy!

In any case, our leek remains there, standing in the garden. While the other vegetables have disappeared, he is still there, under the snow, in the heart of winter.

Leek is a tough vegetable, that’s for sure!

Leek in winter!

Our friends the leeks are therefore able to spend the winter quietly, and practically in all regions.To succeed, it’s quite easy, we will sow them between March and May. And to avoid having to worry about seedlings, you can transplant them. In the spring, young plants can be found on the market, often in bundles. Like salads, we will then install them in the garden. It is watered at the beginning of planting and then, especially in dry periods. The leek likes freshness and you can even mulch the feet to keep the humidity. The harvest will be done as needed and can therefore be extended into the heart of winter since our flagship vegetable is resistant to the cold.

Family

Botanically, the leek is part of the Alliaceae family, now Amaryllidaceae. In this family, the genus Allium includes plants that you know well, leek to begin with. But in the Allium family, there is also onion, garlic, whether decorative or not, and even chives.The common point of all these plants is the proximity in taste. By biting into one of these leaves or one of these bulbs, you quickly guess that these plants have “character”! Another advantage, all are very low in calories. Leek is also a plant rich in antioxidants. Last advantage, it facilitates digestion. And besides, it’s good!

Recipe

Obviously, after the holidays, with a plant that is low in calories and rich in antioxidants, this is just what we need! So how to proceed for a good “leek-vinaigrette”?We will start by cooking in egg in order to obtain a hard-boiled egg. Then, you will have to cook the leeks, it’s easy: it’s 15 minutes in steam. In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of oil and a tablespoon of vinegar, add the crushed egg yolk. It’s even better with chopped shallots. Stir well to obtain a homogeneous mixture.Add the small pieces of egg white on top. All you have to do is serve your leeks with this beautiful vinaigrette!

Roland Motte… Gardener!