Musing about Leek Tips

What are those? I said when I first saw them at Let Us Grow a few weeks ago at the market.

"Leek tips," Cecile said. "They're good roasted. We ate them like French fries."

Now she had me. I'd never seen anyone selling leek tips at the market, and who knew you could roast them? I put them on my official "list" this week.

Finn couldn't be coaxed into looking at them. (Since leeks are in the onion family and onions are toxic to dogs, maybe he's onto them.)

Cut them in half lengthwise; drizzle with olive oil and roast at 350F. until the tips get crisp. That's the recipe Cecile gave me.

They taste a little garlicky. The flowers are the best part because of the texture.

If you have leek tips in your yard, you may want to try this. If you don't, maybe it's time to consider getting some leeks in the ground to winter over for next spring. I've got them on my list of fall vegetables.

I often wonder if all these quirky food finds from the market have turned me into a food snob. I can't imagine going back to the days of iceberg lettuce, rock hard tomatoes, Delicious apples, and conventional celery. I got a taste for something better now.

Do some people just not have taste buds? Or does fresh and local turn you into a food snob? What do you think?