Onions, shallots, and the leek in Louisiana

I admit, "onions, shallots, and the leek" isn't even as punny as "Allium in the family." We have tried growing onions, shallots, and leek, all members of the Allium genus in our garden, and have had good success growing them in the winter. Judy just recently harvested both onions and shallots, which we planted in early October (pictures are of the shallots we just harvested).

Judy prepared a large quantity of shallots, cut them up, and put them in our dehydrator, so we were able to store a substantial supply to flavor our dishes for a considerable time. Onions, shallots, leek, garlic, and chives are all used extensively in Cajun cooking. Both the ability to easily grow these particular Allium species in this area, and their popularity with the French generally, helps explain why they are so extensively used down here. Among the big three, leek was our least favorite.

I read at one website that it would be more accurate to refer to shallots as a type of onion than a distinct species. Shallots could be thought of as a more mild form of onion. Unlike onions, the bulbs grow in clusters, the individual bulbs being more flattened than are onions, which are generally pretty much always round at the base.