Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Alliums in spring

Alliums have had their way out back for years. In spring, they are all over the place and tasty. I add the green things to dishes and they perk up taste like onions never did. Potatoes and broccoli, carrots and greens get a little old- the green of alliums straight from the garden, perks it all up.

Soon the chives will bloom and I can add flowers, purple at that, to the mix.

I have "walking onions" and garlic chives and garlic and a small onion that reproduces like garlic. I have some leeks that oblige and come back every year. If you leave bulbs in, they will come.

Some gardeners will say that I have let them all go wild and they are not good anymore. Those folks will not get an invitation to dinner, though I suppose they are right. If you let chives flower and the seeds plant themselves, they will grow slimmer than the parent. Better to eat the flowers.

The difference I see between garlic and onion is that the leaf of garlic is flat and the leaf of onion and chives is round. All the green shoots are welcome in spring, and are ready long before the Walla walla sweets.