Leeks, or gourmet onions, belong to the Lily family and are closely related to onions, garlic, scallions, shallots, and chives. Leeks produce long edible stems rather than large bulbs. I've been harvesting leeks since the beginning of August and I use them instead of onions in many recipes. Cooking with leeks is a pleasure. For one thing, they don't make you cry when you cut them, and when cooked, leeks have a creamy texture and sweet taste. As only the white and pale green parts of the stalk are used, it is advisable to build up the soil around the base of the plant a few times during the growing season to keep as much of the bottom part of the stalk away from the sunlight. This encourages 'blanching' which makes for a nice long white edible stalk. My leeks are on the thin side, but I think that has more to do with the variety than anything else. I can harvest leeks as I need them and if there are still leeks in the garden in October, they will survive a light frost. But, I think they'll be gone by then.
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