We harvested some exciting crops today!
First up, Egyptian Onions (aka Walking Onions). Read this great article about a chef who fell in love with this onion.
Here’s a quote: “Lewin would like to nominate the Egyptian walking onion to be included in the US Ark of Taste, a catalog, compiled by Slow Food USA, of “delicious foods in danger of extinction.” The operative word there is “delicious.” Sure, this onion is obscure, and its unusual habits and back story are intriguing, but it’s got something even more important going for it. “We can talk about saving seeds and heritage foods all we want,” says Lewin. “But someone’s got to serve it and eat it, too. The best thing about this onion is it tastes great.”
Then we’ve got chives. Which I adore at this time of year. They make every dish taste like spring! Here’s a recent blog post about chives that I enjoyed. It asks, “If ramps can become an overnight produce sensation, why not chives?”
This green may be unfamiliar to you. It’s pretty unique. It’s called Sweet Cicely and this is it’s time of year (for fresh-eating…it makes cool seed pods later in the season). It tastes a bit anise-y and it’s awesome in salads, with fish, or even added to a smoothie. The whole plant has a kind of sweetness which is why the seed pods have been used as a sugar substitute. Read here to learn more.
And then, the edible flower of spring, Johnny Jump Ups. I think that salads should always have flowers in them, but it’s been since last fall since I’ve been able to enjoy that. For some ideas on how to use edible flowers, see here for inspiration.
