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hallots are not the most commonly grown veg- etable in Canada, per- haps because the matu- rity date for bulbs can


be as long as 120 days. But they are worth growing. In more temperate climes, they can be planted in fall, like garlic, but they can also be set out in early spring. If you’ve ever eaten shallots, you know


that their lovely delicate flavour, a cross be- tween onion and garlic, is just right for cer- tain dishes – and they don’t leave you with bad breath or burn your eyes when prepar- ing them. Shallots were once thought to have origi-


nated in Israel where they were known as Allium ascolonicum, after the ancient Pales- tinian city of Ashkelon, and they were con- sidered to be a species of their own. How- ever, they have always been widely used in Asian cuisine and are likely from Central and Southeast Asia. They have been reclassified today as Allium cepa var. aggregatum, which means they are now considered to be a sub member of the multiplier onion. Most of the shallots we buy from supermarkets are grown in France. You can start shallots from seeds but most


people start them from seedlings or sets, just like onions. Unlike onions, however, they grow like a lily bulb in clusters, rather than in a single bulb. The bulbs are oval with a pointy top and a papery skin when cured.


Growing and eating delicious Shallots


The delicate flavour of shallots adds grace to any dish and you can grow them in your garden if you get an early start.


Plant seedlings (shallot bulbs) once the


soil temperature has reached 7 degrees C (45 degrees F) in full sun. Plant about four to six inches apart just below the surface of the earth with the tip of the bulb just peek- ing through the soil The location should be sunny and the soil should be well-drained.


When the tips of the green sprouts start to yel- low in mid summer, you should begin to care- fully remove some soil from around the bulbs, allowing them to mature. Be careful not to disturb roots during this operation. When the leaves have all died back, lift and dry the bulbs in a dry location, preferably in the sun. `


The Allium family and its confusing relationships


and leeks can be very confusing. One rea- son is that the same common names are applied to more than one variety. Aside from some marked differences in


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flavour, although they are related, they also look and grow differently. Spring onion


nowing the difference between shal- lots, green onions, scallions, chives


the one mainly grown for consumption here, although there are some crosses with Allium cepa that have been developed in the U.S. Scallions


Allium cepa is also


called a scallion when it is used in its imma- ture form as shoots from the white on- ion varieties that are


pulled before the bulb has formed. Used this way, scallions are also called spring onions. Leeks


distinctive bulbs, which are made up of cloves like garlic, but unlike garlic, the in- dividual bulbs are not held together by a common membrane.


Chives Allium schoenopra-


sum is native to both North America and Europe. You may grow the clumps orna- mentally in the garden for their pretty purple flowers and round green stems. They are


repulsive to most insects but attractive to bees. Harvest their tops by cutting right back to the ground. A fresh batch will soon replace your harvest. Flowers can be used in salads.


Garlic chives Garlic chives (Al-


Allium fistulosum, the young green on-


ion, spring onion or the bunching onion as it is often called, is a perennial, although it is grown as an annual here. The lower white part is fleshier than the chive and its long green narrow and hollow leaves can reach up to 50 centimetres. The spring onion has a slightly spicy taste, somewhere between the chive and the onion. There are two main types, the Japanese bunching on- ion and the Welsh bunching onion, which is


www.localgardener.net Leeks (Allium porrum) are the big broth-


ers of the Allium clan. They have large flat leaves and the thick white and light green part of the stalk is what is eaten. Leeks, like potatoes, should be hilled to extend the ed- ible white portion of the plant. Shallots


The shallot, Allium cepa var. aggregatum, can be distinguished from the others by its


lium tuberosum) also known as flowering onions and Chinese chives, grow from a rhizome rather than bulbs and have flat leaves and taste mildly of garlic. They have umbels of white


flowers and can become invasive in the garden. Both flowers and stalks are eaten.


Foodie 2012 • 19


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