LONDON — In my last column, I described how the past year had made me a more flexible cook: more democratic, less judgmental. It got me thinking generally about the way certain vegetables are described, the adjectives they are often associated with. Why is an eggplant deemed “mighty,” for example, while leeks are often prefaced with the word “humble”? My love for all-things-eggplant may indeed be “mighty,” but my enthusiasm for the “humble” leek is anything but modest. The star of this month’s dish, leeks have an amazing ability to transform from one thing (when raw) to another (when cooked), something they share with their fellow alliums: onions, shallots and garlic.

Source: New York Times April 16, 2021 18:33 UTC