Tea at Trianon: Of Green Onions, Scallions, Spring Onions, Garlic Scapes, Leeks, and Ramps

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Of Green Onions, Scallions, Spring Onions, Garlic Scapes, Leeks, and Ramps

From Food and Wine:

Spring Onions

These early onions might look like scallions, but they will have a small to medium bulb at the base of the white part. If you let them continue to grow, they will become full sized bulb onions. This aspect makes them a bright, fresh alternative to an aged onion, especially for raw applications like in salads, on sandwiches, or for pickling.
Green Garlic

Immature sprouts look a lot like scallions but are actually baby garlic. They tend to be somewhat skinnier than scallions, but your nose will know. They have a fresh garlic scent, so if you aren't sure, just give them a good sniff. These are great to use in dishes where you want milder garlic flavor, or in raw applications like salads or dressings. If you tend towards mild gastric distress with garlic bulbs, try green garlic instead; many people find the young fresh version easier to tolerate. (Read more.)