Aesthetics & Gastronomy

In Season in February

Leeks are at their best during the winter months and can withstand the harshest of winters. They’ve been grown for centuries, even featuring in the world’s very first recorded cookbook, written by the Roman cookery writer, Apicus. The Roman emperor, Nero, believed that leeks would improved his singing voice, eating so many that he was given the nickname leek-eater. They were also thought to possess great healing powers, from curing the common cold to alleviating the pain of child birth. During ancient times, leeks were used as a talisman, protecting soldiers as they fought in battles. Legend has it that St David, the patron saint of Wales, ordered his troops to wear a leek in their helmets during what turned out to be a victorious battle in the Saxon invasion of Britain. Consequently, the Welsh adopted the leek as one of their national symbols. What’s more, leeks were allegedly a means of foretelling the future and young girls were encouraged to place a leek under their pillows on St Davids Day, in the hope that they would dream about their future husbands.

 

 

Cooking with Leeks - leeks come from the same family as onions but with a sweeter and more subtle flavour which makes them a delicious addition to soups and stews. Leek and potato soup is a classic dish and they also make ideal partners for chicken and fish. As a side dish, simply gently fry, boil or steam them until just tender. Overcooked they have a tendency to become slimy. If you are able to eat dairy products, leeks have a particular affinity with creamy sauces. Try boiling or steaming them until just tender then place the cooked leeks in an ovenproof dish, cover with béchamel/white or cheese sauce and then grill until the top is bubbling and golden.  For a dairy free alternative serve the leeks with a white sauce made with cornflour (cornstarch) and coconut milk, which has been infused with bay leaves, onion, peppercorns and mace.

 

Try these leek recipes:

          

Leeks can be gritty if soil has got in between the leaves and they haven’t been thoroughly washed. An easy way to remove the soil is to cut each leek into quarters, lengthways, leaving the very base of the leek intact. Leave them to soak in cold water then rinse well before slicing and cooking.

  

 

Grow Your Own - not all varieties of leek are winter hardy. Those that are include Musselburgh, Hannibal, Saint Victor and Bandit. Start sowing, under cover, in early spring. When the plants are about pencil thickness they are ready to plant out. Using a dibber, make holes in the prepared ground about 15-20cm deep and 15-20cm apart. It’s often recommended that both the roots and leaves of the leek plants are trimmed at this stage however, the RHS states that this advice is misguided. They advise just lightly trimming the roots as excess trimming stresses the plants and reduces their capacity to recover from transplanting. After trimming, push the plants into each of the holes and fill the holes with water, not soil. Depending on the variety, the leeks will be ready to harvest in autumn, winter or early spring and can be left in the ground and dug up as required.

 

In Season in January

 As regular readers will know, I love growing my own fruit and vegetables which obviously means that I eat them in season, when they are at their very best.  Working out what is in season is easy when you grow your own, you just look in the garden.  But it's not so clear cut when you go shopping is it?  So, this year, at the start of each month, I'll be giving you a little reminder ...

 

Hardy brassicas and root vegetables are the mainstay of the winter kitchen and one of the more unusual of the root vegetable varieties are Jerusalem Artichokes. Despite their name, they are neither from Jerusalem nor related to globe or even Chinese artichokes. They actually belong to the sunflower family and originally grew wild along the eastern coast of North America. It was the American Indians who first found the delicious tubers and started cultivating them. Later, the Indians showed the Pilgrims, who had started settling in the area, how to grow the artichokes and they became one of their staple foods. In the early 1600s, a French explorer discovered the plants and thinking the tubers tasted like artichokes, took them back to France. The French were smitten and started cultivating their newly discovered delicacy which became a favourite of Parisian street vendors. From France, their popularity spread to other countries up until the 18th century when they were relegated to livestock fodder as potatoes took their place at the dinner table. However, as a source of cheap, plentiful and easy to grow carbohydrates, jerusalem artichokes have helped to boost food supplies during times of shortages, including during World War II. Nowadays though, they have reclaimed their status as a sought after delicacy. Why the tubers are called ‘Jerusalem’ artichokes is unclear. It may be a corruption of the Italian word for sunflower, Girasola, or it could be the anglicised version of Ter Neusen, a town in Holland where they were cultivated.

 

 

Cooking with Jerusalem Artichokes - the tubers have a sweet nutty flavour and a soft texture that combines beautifully with potatoes. Steam equal amounts of each for mash or slice and layer potatoes and artichokes in cream or vegetable stock based gratins. They also make a lovely creamy soup, either on their own or mixed with carrots or celeriac. Scrubbed or peeled artichokes roasted in olive oil become soft and slightly caramelised.  Here's a recipe for Roast Artichokes served with Pancetta and Kale.  Sliced, they make a delicious crunchy addition to stir fries. Try Silvana Rowe's (Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume) unusual houmous or from Eat Your Greens, Sophie Grigson's stuffing recipe for roast chicken. Thinly sliced and eaten raw they have a crunchy texture, similar to water chestnuts. Raw artichokes have a tendency to discolour so to prevent this, the cut slices need to be coated in something acidic. A dressing containing lemon juice or vinegar is ideal.

 

 

Grow Your Own - jerusalem artichokes grow from tubers and are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. In early spring, plant the tubers 15cm (6”) deep leaving about 50cm (20”) between each one. Fuseau is one of the best varieties to grow as the tubers are smoother and therefore easier to peel. By mid summer, small bright yellow flowers will appear on the tall stems which, like sunflowers, can reach up to 3m high. Picking the flowers will encourage more energy to divert to the roots and consequently produce larger tubers. After the first frost, the foliage will die back and can be removed. Leave some of the stems showing to mark where the tubers are and then harvest as and when you need them. In very cold winters cover the bed with a layer of straw. If you leave a few tubers in the ground they will grow into new plants the following season.