Weeds or not? Does anyone know anything about them? Are they really weeds or do they serve a purpose? Recently found some growing in my yard and some say yank them as they are weeds, but others have said you can chop them up and cook with them? So any info??

CK - leeks and all the myriad varieties of scallions, onions, and even several flowering varieties are all grand for cooking, salads, and the like... BUT they can be pervasive in your garden. A lot of 'em tend to come back every year - some can indeed take over your garden plot. Decide how much you adore the taste - and go from there :-)

Thanks Lorraine...

Wild onions were frequently used by Native Americans both as food and as medicine. Don't have any recipes right here but have eaten new potato and wild onion soup and had them on "Indian tacos"

LOL, so what are "Indian Tacos"? hahaha...

Indian tacos are regular tacos except made on Indian Fry Bread instead of in corn tortillas. They were real big at the PowWows that I attended when I lived in OK.

I get those in my fields ... it's a mild form of Garlic. They taste more garlic than onion if you eat them. I eat them before going on the Sus. River or Swatara Creek and on nights in the mountain. And take them along to "re-fresh" They keep the misguitoes and ticks off.

They grow in my fields because I feed the horses garlic supplements for flies and larve.

I did notice they smelled more garlicy than oniony. I pulled them and have them soaking in water in my fridge. I figured I'd chop them up and use them in spaghetti sauce or something. Seems a waste to just toss them out. My mom told me I was nuts because she considers them weeds. But not the first time my mom thought I was nuts....LOL

LOL, CK.

Allium does have some pretty flowers - and is more garlicky, though it is actually a member of the leek family. I planted some of those bulbs near the front porch a few years back to keep the 'skeeters' away. It works pretty well - and we can't even smell it when sitting out there. A win-win.

So am I stupid for wanting to "save" them or what? LOL

quote:

Originally posted by CrystalK:
So am I stupid for wanting to "save" them or what? LOL

Heck no - not a bit. They'll come nack every year unless you move them at any rate. Hardy little buggers! ...and they DO help keep the mosquitoes away.

I like them a lot - they keep mosquitoes away, and I pretend they're chives - just go out and chop some for salads, etc. If I'm feeling ambitious, I peel some and pretend they're pearl onions [which they are]. Most of the time I just ignore them and cut them with the rest of the lawn - they die down when it gets hot here anyway.