Leeks

Our leeks are pulled, stripped and trimmed by hand. Surviving the grim hardship of a January day spent bent over in a windswept field with 5 kilos of mud clinging to each boot also requires a zen-like quality possessed by only a small minority. I reckon the pickers deserve to be paid more than bankers but I’m not sure we would sell many leeks if they were.

If you were to judge by supermarket availability, you’d be forgiven for thinking the leek season runs from July to mid April. Early plantings can be harvested from late July but with so many other veg in season through the summer, we save leeks for the autumn and winter with harvest starting in earnest in September or October. Later, winter-hardy varieties tend to be shorter and stouter with darker leaves, and arguably they taste better. By March, the spring warmth encourages them to bolt – if you dissect one you might see the bolt thrusting up through the centre. Initially this is tender and edible, but by May you should be wary of buying them as they become hard, yellow and bitter. Leeks are a winter vegetable and should be kept that way.