Baby Leeks

As mentioned a few days ago, I had recently concluded that my second batch of Leeks was not going to grow any more and I might as well pull them up. To be fair, my main crop of "Toledo" Leeks (long gone now) was pretty decent and I was satisfied with them. This second batch was only ever a long shot. Back in the Spring I had initially sowed far too many seeds and I ended up with a load of seedlings and no space, so I kept them in a some flower-pots and then planted them out a couple at a time whenever the harvesting of some mature ones freed-up some ground.

By the Autumn they had put on a bit of weight, but I don't think they have grown perceptibly for at least the last two months. A few of them had been trampled-upon by the foxes, despite being covered with netting, and they were generally a pretty sorry sight:

If you think that photo looks a funny colour, you're right, because the surface of the soil was covered with frost when I took the photo, which made everything come out looking very strange.

One or two of the Leeks were about an inch in diameter, but most of them were only about the size of a large Spring Onion.

Well, I have now pulled up all but the largest four (hedging my bets again, still hoping they might grow a bit more...)

After a wash and a trim they didn't look too bad:

And here they are in the kitchen, awaiting the chef's attention.

Yes, they certainly do look more like Spring Onions than Leeks.

One thing I have particularly noticed with these home-grown Leeks is how strong their aroma is. Shop-bought Leeks hardly seem to smell of anything, but these ones of mine fill the room with "scent". Why don't they make air-fresheners with fruit and veg smells? A room filled with the scent of Strawberry, Tomato or Leek might be quite popular. Not sure about the Garlic one though...