A perennial leek that grows like a weed? And is delicious? Yes! Come into my post and get to know the elephant garlic. And then enjoy a wonderful plate of grilled elephant garlic stalks, with wild carrots and dandelion roots, too.
Rooting Around For Roots
Elephant garlic is a variant of the leek. But it's perennial and can spread like a weed! Most people that grow elephant garlic only harvest the big bulbs that split into cloves like garlic. But there are so many different ways to use almost every part of elephant garlic!
In the spring, the young elephant garlic stalks make great Spring Leeks. Here in Oregon's Willamette Valley, it's still a little early to harvest them for leeks. But the Steemit Iron Chef special ingredient this week is leeks, so I'm headed out to dig up a clump. There are plenty out there!
While I'm wandering with my shovel, I may as well dig up some other roots, too. Wild carrots are so good when they are cooked until they are tender. And this is a great time to get their roots - before the plants really start growing in the spring. And I'll dig a few dandelion roots, too. They have a parsnip flavor when they are cooked -- and leeks and parsnips go great together!
Here's a tip: Do not clean those roots in the kitchen! You will get in trouble, even if you live alone. Instead, let the roots soak in a bucket of water for an hour. Then the soil swishes right off, leaving all that mud in the bucket.
In the Kitchen
There's a little preparation in the kitchen, but not too much. The big bulbs around the elephant garlic are from last year, so they are beginning to get a little pithy now. But their inner core is new growth, like the familiar leek. I'll show you what I do with the bulbs - and the leaves - in future posts. But for now, I'm interested in the leek-like stalk.
I lightly peel the carrot and dandelion roots - and then steam them until they are tender. Then I grill all 3 on a cast iron grill pan with a little olive oil. It doesn't take long. I also make a reduction from my Spruce Tree Balsamic Vinegar that I have written about before.
Serving It Up!
I stack my grilled elephant garlic leeks, wild carrots, and dandelion roots. I top them with a chiffonade of dandelion leaves and flowers from wild field mustard. And then I drizzle on my Spruce Tree Balsamic Vinegar reduction, with the soft spruce needles included. It's a springtime party!
What Do You Think?
- Do you grow or forage Elephant Garlic?
- Do you forage Dandelion roots or Wild Carrots?
- Do you forage for any wild food?
- What's your favorite root to eat?
- Would you eat my Wild Spring Grill Carnival?
I eat a lot of wild plants and show you how, because I believe that we can all have lives that are richer, more secure, more grounded, and more interesting by getting to know the plants and the land around us – in our yards, our parks, and our wild places.
Thanks @progressivechef for creating the Steemit Iron Chef contest series!
I try to make content that's interesting! If you found this informative and helpful, please give it an upvote and a resteem.
Plant List
- Elephant Garlic Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum
- Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
- Wild Field Mustard Brassica rapa
- Wild Carrot Daucus carota
- Spruce Picea spp.
- Poison Hemlock - Conium maculatum - DO NOT EAT!
