Even though there are still the occasional snowflakes in the air, it is spring, and today's wind and snow will give way to warming sun.Among the pleasures of spring, are leeks, some people call them ramps, either you love them or you hate them. I love them.
Garlic breath has nothing on leek breath, there are those people who choose to make restrictions about their employees eating the odoriferous bulb. Unfair, I say, but that is another entry.
As the woods begins to green up it is time to go into the woods in search of the much sought after leeks, first with my father and grandfather, and now with my own family, as I hope someday my son will take his family. In years long past we searched for watercress,though this is no longer a good idea with the widespread contamination of once clean streams.
Traveling down dirt roads to look for the emerging prize, the first sprouts being the most pungent, and of course for the" braggin rights" to have found the first tempting morsels. c
Constantly scanning the hillside our shovels over our shoulders, we embraced the warmth and songs of retuning birds. Once we found a spot we set to work digging them out of the leaf litter, filling our bags or baskets. The entire plant is edible, the leaves can be used in omelets ,meatloaf , and are much less pungent than the bulb, though both parts are tamed by cooking.
Leek season lasts for several weeks, until the plant reaches maturity
and sends up and pretty blue flower. and so it begins,again.
