by Effie Moore Salem

Created on: May 11, 2009   Last Updated: June 18, 2010

Allium vegetables are the onion, chives, garlic, shallot group of root vegetables. Onions add flavor to foods and without them most dishes would be bland, bland, bland. Far from what the petunia patch legend - lonely as an onion in a petunia patch - onions are not lonely. They keep company with the best everyday. Onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives and others belong to the genus of plants known as alliums. They are important to the diet for two very good reasons; one, they add flavor and two their chemicals help fight infections of the body and help in the healing process. Although some are ornamental such as chives with their pretty pink or purple pom-poms that are often seen gracing walkways, all are edible. Yes, even the flowers. They share flavor too yet this ranges from strong to mild; garlic and onions the strongest, chives and shallots mildest. Alongside this general sameness are unique qualities belong to each. No one blindfolded and being tested would ever confuse a snippet of garlic with that of an onion. Other variants in growth patterns while similar are uniquely characteristic of each individually. What cook can do with out onions and garlic?

Onions (Allium Cepa)

Onions are grown from either sets - small immature onions - or from seeds. When grown from seed the first season produces sets, which is then over wintered and set out the next season for full grown onions. In all onions are formed in about one hundred days, but not all onions will make it this far. They are eaten as green onions early in the season and are by far the best reason to grow one's own onions. Commercially they are not an expensive item to buy and storage makes having a large amount of onions to store is usually prohibitive to growing large amounts, if grown for other reasons than fresh green onions. The mildest onion is of the Bermuda variety, and the strongest are the purplish red group.

Leeks (Allum Porrum)

The roots of Leeks are longitudinal as opposed to globular or circular. In addition to being a flavoring agent, this bulb plant is also eaten as a vegetable. Much milder in flavor to an onion, it more resembles an enlarged green onion when fully grown. The leaves are broad and more resembles garlic, in this respect, than the onion.

Garlic (Allium Sativa)

Garlic needs little description since everyone has ideas about it. It is easily grown and is an excellent keeper and sits around in out of the way places in the kitchen and is useful in tomato sauces and in many

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>