For all the good things the spring season brings – warm weather, no snow, playoff sports – we still have to deal with those pesky seasonal allergies.
Yuck.
Fortunately, pollen isn’t the only thing busting out in the spring. It’s also when one of our favourite wild foods emerge from the soil: wild leeks.
If you’re not familiar with these brilliantly tasty veggies, you should give them a thought – your taste buds and seasonal-allergy-induced histamine response will thank you.
So, what are wild leeks?
Naturally found in heavily wooded areas of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, as well as the Eastern United States, wild leeks – also known as ‘ramps’ in some fancy menus – are part of the allium family, along with onions and garlic. They’re among the first veggies to emerge in the springtime; you can spot them by their distinct appearance, if you can picture a tulip minus the flower (so it’s mostly those long, flat green leaves).
What we love about wild leeks is they offer the same flavour-boosting properties of onions and garlic, without the risk of overpowering any dish. Plus, as we alluded to earlier, wild leeks are nature’s answer to, well, nature’s seasonal allergies.
Wild leeks have one of the richest dietary sources of quercetin available to us, which is a phytonutrient that helps inhibit histamine release, which is often the trigger for seasonal allergy and hay fever symptoms. Leeks are also full of sulphurous compounds, providing anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventive properties, too.
Related: How to Best Treat Your Kids for Seasonal Allergies
To incorporate wild leeks into your diet, they can be used in place of where you’d sprinkle in spring onions and chives. Chop them up and add them to eggs, saute them lightly and add to boost flavour, or grind the raw leaves together with some pine nuts or hemp seeds, olive oil and a little sea salt to make a decadent pesto that works as a condiment on just about everything.
They’re also excellent in soups, pasta dishes, and salads – anywhere you need a taste of spring, wild leeks have a place in your recipe. And no pressure, but they’re only available for a few weeks during the spring, so make the most of it!
Photo Credit: Aquarius Studio/Shutterstock.com; margouillat photo/Shutterstock.com
