Onion Haircuts

It is cold. It's been cold all weekend. Tomorrow it will snow, and we are expecting so much that the state had to reschedule the MCAS exam (our statewide, bullshit standardized test). 

Major prognostication fail, Punxsutawny Phil.

And so we wait. Seedlings are popping up in the cold frames and on the windowsills, and they are doing well despite the freezing temps. So well, in fact, that the leeks and onions are rather in need of a haircut:

These are our red onion seedings, which we planted about six weeks ago. As you can see, they are floppy and unruly. (The leeks are far better behaved, standing upright like good little soldiers — yet another example of their superiority.)

Once onions and leeks get to be over four or five inches high, you can trim them back so they aren't so top heavy. This is a finesse job, because you have to ever-so-carefully untangle and lift up individual leaves, which are still pretty delicate. After their haircut (which I performed with kitchen shears), the onions were a little better about standing upright:

Also, a bonus is that you get a plate of these:

These onion and leek sprouts are light and tasty — kind of like oniony chives, but more delicate in both flavor and texture.

Kirk chopped them up and used them in last nights mashed parsnips:

This was a nice, savory addition to the sweet parsnips. The onion sprouts would also be good as a garnish for an omelet, or mixed into a salad. 

And that, my friends, is the last onion we'll have until those little guys are growing the garden, five times as big as they are now. With another foot of snow headed our way, who knows when that will be?