Cooking with Leeks and Friends

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By Charlie Nardozzi

We all love cooking with the harvest from our garden. Here are some pointers for cooking with Onions and their relatives. 

Leeks

Leeks are the king of soup onions and are regarded in France as the asparagus of the poor. The patron saint of Wales, Saint David, exhorted his countrymen who were faithful to King Cadwaldr to distinguish themselves from their Saxon foes by wearing a leek in their caps. Even now on Saint David's Day, March 1, Welshmen sport leeks, the emblem of Wales, on their lapels.

To prepare leeks for cooking, trim off the roots, remove any bruised or dried leaves and cut off the tops, leaving only the white stem and tender part of the green leaves. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise starting a couple of inches below the top of the white portion, and continue upwards through the remaining green portion. Spread the layers slightly and wash the leeks very carefully, flushing water down into the white part to remove dirt that accumulated as the leeks grew. Then slice the leeks as directed by your recipe.

Chives

In warm areas chives may still be growing in your garden and in cold climates they make great indoor herb plants. Chives taste best if chopped finely and used as garnish and in spreads, dips, and eggs. To cut chives, use scissors and trim a few of the stalks to a height of one inch rather than cutting the tips off the whole plant. When they grow back to 6 to 7 inches tall, they're ready to be trimmed again.

Shallots

The queen of the sauce onions, the shallot imparts a delicate flavor -- somewhere between garlic and onion. Shallots should not be browned, as they turn bitter. Three to four shallots are the equivalent of one medium-sized onion; they're rarely eaten alone, but are used regularly in cooking.

Removing the Aroma

If the smell of these vegetables on your hands bothers you after you've been cooking with them, try rubbing your hands with a few drops of lemon juice, vinegar, or a little salt. If you want to clear your breath, eat some mint, a sprig of parsley, or a few celery leaves. If the smell of cooking onions bothers you, light a few wooden matches. The sulfur in the matches will take the odor away.

Peeling Onions

If you're like most people, you've probably noticed that peeling and chopping onions or shallots is the quickest way to begin shedding a few tears. The fresher your onions, the more of a workout your tear ducts will get. A few easy tricks can ease or prevent the problem:

Breathe through your mouth as you peel and slice onions.

Peel onions from the stem end, then chop off the root end and immediately rinse the root end of the onion in cold water.

Hold the onions under cold water as you peel them.

When peeling a lot of small onions, soak them for a few seconds in boiling water, then dunk them in cold water. The skins will then slip off easily.

About Charlie Nardozzi
Thumb of 2020-06-04/Trish/0723fdCharlie Nardozzi is an award winning, nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 30 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, tours, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. He's the author of 6 books, has three radio shows in New England and a TV show. He leads Garden Tours around the world and consults with organizations and companies about gardening programs. See more about him at Gardening With Charlie.
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