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Re: Poireau??


Gluestick
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Has anyone else noticed, whilst Poireau are an autumn harvested legume (in theory), the damned things utterly lack any real "leek" flavour, this year.

Mrs Gluey and I purchased these from both Aldi (whose leeks are usually good and fresh) and then from Carrefour at greater cost.

No leek flavour.

Just returned from a 3 week sojourn in la belle and in the North it was rather cold; therefore after working in the garden etc, a nice warming bowl of leek and potato is usually just the job and hits the spot rather well.

Not this time around; it was dire...

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I usually include one onion in my leek and potato soup, to give the flavour a boost.

Did your fresh leeks have that all-pervading leek smell when you bought them? If not, maybe that indicates they were an "improved" variety that lacks both smell and taste.

Angela
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[quote user="Loiseau"]I usually include one onion in my leek and potato soup, to give the flavour a boost.

Did your fresh leeks have that all-pervading leek smell when you bought them? If not, maybe that indicates they were an "improved" variety that lacks both smell and taste.

Angela[/quote]

Not a very leeky smell, Angela.

Still, yesterday, Mrs G popped into Lidl for some necessary comestibles and spotted fresh leeks for £1 (Chavda were nearly £3!); and is busy as I write making a fresh daffy of Leek and Potato soup, so fingers crossed... I munched a little of the fresh cut leek and it tasted excellent.

P.S. We also always include one onion.

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[quote user="idun"]Yes, I have noticed that too. Carrots recently have been lovely though, very sweet and carroty![/quote]

Totally agree about the carrots, Idun.

The organic variety from Aldi store in our little Canton town have been excellent.

I love carrots when they are fresh and sweet.

Yummy.

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I grew leeks for the first time this year. In the spring I got 100 seedling from a local nursery for a couple of euros, well I say 100 but there was closer to double that and I was planting them everywhere and giving loads away.  They grew well and whilst  they are not huge (down to my lack of watering I think) they are tender and tasty.  Will definitely do it again next year.

Edit:  Gluey, you may know the nursery at Dennebroeucq, near Denlys Parc. I always go there for veg, toms, bedding plants as they are of excellent quality - highly recommended

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I didn't know that one, Pierre.

A neighbour, a very hard working young man and his wife (the daughter of the largest local farmer and ex-maire) run a huge and rapidly expanding bio-seedling nursery and this would usually be my first call.

Since he only next door but one........

So I was told, Welsh miners, who of course were famed for their leeks, used to nick the odd stick or two of blasting gelignite - particularly when it started to sweat! - and would dump these in a galvanised bucket of rainwater and hide away in the little hut on their allotment.

Loads of Nitrogen ideal for green veggies.

Not uncommon for huts to explode at odd hours...

[:'(]

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  • 1 month later...
I thought of this thread the last two times I bought leeks from Lidl at some cheap-as-chips price.

What I noticed was that they were very clean, no soil, no grit, just very good-looking but I have to agree that they do not smell much.  However, turned into soup, the soup tasted very nice.

I think they must be growing these hydroponically and that that might be why even the roots of the leeks (very short roots) are clean as a whistle.

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Glad your soup was nice, Minty.

I became so exercised about these damned leeks, I contacted the National Leek Grower's Association, or somesuch...didn't receive the courtesy of a reply.

Angela nailed the cause, earlier in this thread. And I researched it.

Varieties grown for resistance to pests fungal attacks etc. Greater crop weight; and little if any flavour.

Simple old cove me; as Michel Roux is wont to say, "Where's the flavour?"

Still, today, later on, I am making Chinese style Chicken and Sweetcorn soup. Mrs Gluey boiled up a chicken carcass; loads of nice little bits of white meat. Onions, sautéed till transparent; root ginger, garlic, a decent chicken stock cube, strain the liquor, to partially clarify; in with the little bits of chicken and sweetcorn, add a very few egg noodles and scatter some bits of green scallion sliced thin and Bob's your oncle!

[:D]

[B]

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Sounds very good.  The only thing I would add is some chilli but that's just me [:P]

I fancied some of my leeks at the weekend but there was a little problem.

I have grown them in raised beds (and yes they could be bigger because I didn't water them enough) but I couldn't get the damn things out as the ground had frozen solid.

After a lot of hacking I liberated a few.  They tasted good but maybe that was because of the hard work to get them!

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We've only once grown leeks, and that was by mistake. Husband bought some to plant from the market, thinking they were spring onions. The leaves were ok.

I used to like small leeks baked with a cheese sauce. Otherwise I don't see the point of them, much prefer onions. We grow a lot of those, different kinds.

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I still think it very strange to have leeks without any grit or soil particles between the leaves. 

Strange how some silly little thing could stick in your mind but I remember Glenys Kinnock being asked on TV how to properly clean leeks.  She said you had to slice lengthwise as far down as you can and clean under a running tap...........duh, no wonder I don't remember anything important as my poor old brain is filled with inconsequential rubbish!

Now that we are on this mind-boggling subject, can you tell me how much of the green bits you retain to eat?  I discard most of the green bits, only using the very delicate pale green bits near the stem.  My neighbour happened to be in my house once when I was doing this and she tut-tutted loudly and gathered up all the discarded bits to take home with her!  I didn't know where to look as I felt thoroughly shamed.

Same goes for the thick stalks of cauliflowers and of broccoli.  I have done as some TV cooks suggested, that you peel them and use all of the stalk.  But I simply do not like the stalks so I continue to lop off all the large stalks and just eat the florets with only small bits of tender stalks.  In France, they do sell you such vegetables having trimmed them minimally and most of the stalks and soil are still on the veg; but I like that because I think this helps to prolong the veg's life.

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Mint, I'm like you with leeks, take all the green off, though I think the French might soup / stew the tops.  Likewise stalks of brocoli and cauli). I tried once, but found them tough.  I like onions (though they don't always like me!), but tend to buy leeks sometimes for a little extra flavour as OH won't eat onions but seems to tolerate leeks. Last one I bought, from the local market, was less flavoursome than expected, but it was late in the season and I suspect I'd kept it too long before I cooked it!

I did "steam" a small head of brocoli in the top of the slow cooker above the meat and with the potatoes (also steaming gently) and actually found the stalk quite tasty, though it no longer had green florets by that time ... but again that was getting old ... another veg OH won't eat.!!

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Also, I love a buttery leek omelette.

Patf, I nearly agree about your "why leeks" question.  However, I do have a Welsh husband and I think leeks remind him of his childhood meals[;-)]

Plus, they do cook more quickly than onions if you are in a hurry![:)]

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Mint, I use a fair bit of tge green parts, not keen on the thick parts of caulis, but freeze left-over bits like that and use them up in soups, either chopped small or liquidise the lot.

Our sons used to work on the University farm in the holidays, planting leeks - really small, skinny things and they planted field after field of them. They got aching backs and knees but liked the money!

That work helped to get our son his first job when he left school. He didn't want to go to university, so applied for jobs locally, one of which was at a company doing tests for the CE safety mark. His future boss had taken applications home, discussed her preferred candidates with her partner, who recognised his name and said he was a damn fine worker. He worked for that company for about 20 years, just left last week for a new post.
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[quote user="mint"]

Now that we are on this mind-boggling subject, can you tell me how much of the green bits you retain to eat?  I discard most of the green bits, only using the very delicate pale green bits near the stem.  My neighbour happened to be in my house once when I was doing this and she tut-tutted loudly and gathered up all the discarded bits to take home with her!  I didn't know where to look as I felt thoroughly shamed.[/quote]

In our case, as much as possible! Only cut off and discard the outer bits and the very top bits where the leek is spreading.

[quote]Same goes for the thick stalks of cauliflowers and of broccoli.  I have done as some TV cooks suggested, that you peel them and use all of the stalk.  But I simply do not like the stalks so I continue to lop off all the large stalks and just eat the florets with only small bits of tender stalks.  In France, they do sell you such vegetables having trimmed them minimally and most of the stalks and soil are still on the veg; but I like that because I think this helps to prolong the veg's life.

[/quote]

Broccoli and Calabrese: we also adore the florets: and never ever overcook or stew green veggies like our granny and old Mum did! Stewed in Bicarb and my Gran also drank the "Green Water". Said it was good for you...

Probably, screwed up one's Sodium levels, a tad! She did live to nearly 90, though.

Try this, Minty: cut off the florets right at the stalk: steam the florets until al dente: cook the trimmed stalks in boiling water (rolling boil) until they are soft (prod with a skewer).

Young, fresh and well boiled then they are rather like poor man's asparagus

Plus all the calcium lives therein......

[:D]

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GG, thank you for the tip about freezing the stalks and cutting them up small and putting in soups. I think I will definitely try that with both caulis and broccolis.

Pat, I had a great tip from 5-e (I'm sure you remember her?) re celery leaves.  I tried cooking and eating them but, as you say, they are NOT good![:-))]

She explained that the flavour is very strong and can't be use in big quantities.  So, the tip was to freeze them and only use a few leaves in veg soup where they do impart to the soup their special flavour.  I had a huge bunch of leaves once that lasted for months, used sparingly[:D]

I don't think the white celery is often sold with leaves but the green wants seem to have large, beautiful leaves attached and it IS a dreadful shame to throw all the leaves out.

Edit:  I mean, of course, the green ONES..............grrrr..............now having some difficulty remembering English words and often writing rubbish!!!

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Same with delicate herbs, Minty. Try this.

Wash and chop fine and freeze in water as ice cubes. Weird but really useful. When you want some, say fresh coriander for (e.g.) sprinkling on a curry, simply thaw the cubes; strain through a fine sieve and away you go. Mainly since one buys a bunch of fresh coriander and only uses a little; and chucks the rest.

We also save Swiss Chard stalks in the freezer; changes from red to dark black! [:-))] but when roasted, as we do, in a collage of veggies, yummy still!

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