THE LEAFY ONION

EASY TO GROW AND SUBTLE IN TASTE, THE LEEK IS THE STANDUP MEMBER OF THE ALLIUM FAMILY WITH MULTIPLE USES IN THE KITCHEN

Words Jennifer Stackhouse

Not many vegetables attain the status of national symbol but, if you’re Welsh, wearing a leek proudly denotes your nationality — especially if worn on Saint David’s Day, March 1. The custom goes back centuries. Even in Shakespeare’s time it was considered an ancient tradition, as noted in the Bard’s play Henry V. Although the leek is a symbol of Wales, the country’s national flower is the less pungent and prettier daffodil. While the Welsh wear the whole leek, only part of the plant is eaten: the lightgreen-to-white section of the lower stem between the root and the tough green leaf tops. Technically, the rigid cylindrical stem or stalk of the leek isn’t a true stem but is made up of closely packed leaf bases and referred to as the shank. These overlapping leaves can…

You're reading a preview of

Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, 14.6

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.