Blue Solaize Leeks
By: Melissa Peterman

About

An heirloom variety from France, that holds up well over the winter. The blue solaize leeks are blue in color at full maturity. Then will turn shades of purple in cold temperatures. Great in salads, soups and as any substitution for the generic leek variety.

Information
Other names: Leeks, Heirloom Leek
Translations: Blue Solaize Puravi, Blue Solaize porai, Blue Solaize Praz, Plava Solaize Poriluk, Blue Solaize tỏi tây, Blue Solaize Pory, Blue Solaize Prei, ब्लू लीक SOLAIZE, Blue Solaize Alhos, Blue Solaize лук-порей, Blue Solaize Πράσα, الزرقاء Solaize الكرات, 블루 파를 Solaize, Blue Solaize Pór, Blue Solaize Bawang bakung / perai, 蓝Solaize 07039000, Blau Solaize Porros, Blue Solaize Por, Blue SOLAIZE Pór, Blue Solaize Porri, כחול Solaize כרישה, Blå Solaize Purjolök, Плава Солаизе празилук, ブルーは葱をSOLAIZEにある, Blue Solaize poireaux, Blue Solaize Lauch, Blue Solaize Porrer, Blue SOLAIZE Purre, Azul Solaize Puerros, Blue Solaize цибуля-порей, Blue Solaize purjosipuli, Синята Solaize Праз


Physical Description
Beautiful French heirloom, truly blue-colored leaves that turn violet after a cold spell. Very large, 15-20" stalks, sweet medium-long shaft, extremely hardy. Good for short-season areas and winter harvest. 100-120 days from transplant.
Colors: Blue


Tasting Notes
Flavors: Sweet, Earthy
Mouthfeel: Crunch
Food complements: Salads
Beverage complements: Bloody mary


Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: august, september, opctober, november, december
Peak: opctober, november, december
Choosing: Look for bright colors and no bruising. 
Buying: You can purchase at your local grocery store when in season. 
Procuring: This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Spencer, Massachusetts
Thompsons Station, Tennessee
Madison, Wisconsin


Preparation and Use
Used in soups, stews, and salads.
Cleaning: You can rinse with running water to clean. 


Conserving and Storing
Store in cold temperature in the refrigerator.  


Social/Political
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Spencer, Massachusetts
Thompsons Station, Tennessee
Madison, Wisconsin
History: Leeks are common throughout Europe for as far back as we have records of food plants. The Romans called it porrum, a term retained in its present "scientific" name (our modern word "leek" comes from the Anglo-Saxon leac), and believed that the very best leeks came from Egypt, where they had been known in earliest Biblical times: indeed, the Bible states how, during the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness, they longed for the onions, leeks, and garlic they had had in Egypt. Nero is reported to have been nicknamed Porrophagus (literally, "leek-eater") because of his inordinate appetite for leeks, which he apparently thought would improve his voice; Hippocrates prescribed leeks for curing nosebleeds. The Romans were responsible for the spread of leeks throughout Europe and into the British Isles--Chaucer's storied pilgrims dined on leek soup. By 1775, leeks were being grown in America, by the natives as well as the colonists.