Edible Asian Garden. Rosalind Creasy

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      Multistemmed bunching onions

      Bunching onions are bulbless onions widely used throughout Asia. They are hardy perennials and are cultivated for their long, white stems and green leaves. There are two basic types: those that grow as single-stemmed onions and those that are multistemmed and grow in clusters. The single-stemmed types are grown as annuals and can be planted quite close together. The clustering types continue to spread from year to year.

      How to grow: As with other alliums, bunching onions prefer cool weather and soil rich in organic matter and phosphorous. Plant bunching onions from seed in the spring for summer use or in the fall to overwinter. Sow ¼ inch apart and ½ inch deep. Keep weeded. Give consistent moisture. The clustering types should reach a good size the first year, with some division at the base; they can be divided the second summer. To produce whiter stalks, mound the soil to blanch the stems. The long, single-stalked types are particularly well-suited for blanching and are sometimes called Chinese leeks. Bunching onions are fairly resistant to pests and disease.

      Harvest the leaves when young, as you would chives. Once the plants are established, harvest the individual scallions or separate from the cluster as needed.

      Varieties

      ‘Evergreen Hardy’ (‘Evergreen’): 65 days; very popular; grows in clusters; most cold hardy of the bunching onions

      ‘Kujo’ (‘Kujo Green Multistalk’): a multiplier onion; grows in clusters of 3 or 4 stalks; tender white stalks are about 10 inches long; light green leaves to 18 inches

      ‘Ishikura No. 2’: a popular single-stalked variety; very uniform

      ‘White Lisbon’: 60 days; an Allium cepa developed for use as a scallion; tender green tops and long white stems; does well in a variety of soils

      How to prepare: Bunching onions can become bitter if overcooked, so they are generally chopped and added to cooked dishes toward the end of cooking. In China, these green onions are used as garnishes or added to rice, noodle, and fish dishes as well as soups and stir-fries. Historically, the nomadic tribes of Mongolia gathered the wild green onions that grew profusely in that region. They then quickly fried thin strips of beef and added handfuls of the onions at the last minute, the object being to cook the green onions lightly while still keeping the life in them. In Japanese cooking, these onion-family vegetables are widely used for pickling, in soups and garnishes, and are popular in sukiyaki.

      BURDOCK

      Arctium lappa

      Cantonese: ngao pong; Mandarin: niu pang; Japanese: gobo

      Burdock

      This plant’s roots, which can grow to 4 feet long and 1 inch wide, and its young shoots are prized in Japan. The roots are usually brown-skinned with white flesh. The plant grows to about 3 feet tall.

      How to grow: Burdock is a biennial but is usually grown as an annual sown in early spring. It can also be sown in the fall and harvested in early spring. Soak the seeds overnight in warm water and then plant in extremely soft, deep, rich soil in full sun. Work in bone meal before planting. Thin seedlings to 8 inches apart. Keep mulched for vigorous growth throughout the season. Harvest the roots in approximately 4 months. The roots are tenderest when harvested while young, at 12 to 18 inches long. The best way to harvest is to use a post-hole digger next to the plant to expose the majority of the root before you pull it out; otherwise the root breaks off easily.

      Varieties

      ‘Takinogawa’: 120 days; the standard Japanese variety; has well-formed roots with a mild, bittersweet flavor

      How to prepare: The primary edible part of burdock is the root, but young, tender shoots are sometimes used too. The roots are sometimes used in stir-fries and soups in China. In Japan, they are pickled or cooked in soups, tempura, and stir-fries with slivered carrots. Try them rolled in thin strips of beef or pork mixed with other vegetables (see recipe, page 81). Roots are harvested and scraped before cooking; stronger-tasting roots are thinly sliced and soaked in water for several hours to remove bitterness. Keep cut roots in water to prevent darkening.

      CARROTS

      Daucus carota var. sativus

      Hindi: gajar

      Japanese carrots

      Carrots are popular in India, but plant breeders in Japan and Taiwan have developed many great modern varieties we use in the West. A number of the Asian carrots are high in anthocyanins, which gives them a reddish cast.

      How to grow: Plant carrots in early spring, as soon as your soil has warmed, or plant them as a fall crop. Cultivate and loosen the soil 1 foot deep to make room for the roots. Light soils are best—gardeners with heavy soils need stubby varieties. Sow seeds ½ inch apart in rows or wide beds and keep the seed bed evenly moist. Thin to 2 inches. In most parts of the country, once sprouted, carrots are easy to grow. When the plants are about 3 inches tall, mulch with compost and side dress with fish emulsion.

      Once the seedlings are up, protect them from snails and slugs. In the upper Midwest, the carrot rust fly maggot tunnels its way through carrots. Floating row covers and crop rotation help. Alternaria blight and cercospora blight are possible diseases.

      Carrot varieties are ready for harvesting when they are at least ½ inch across and start to color. The optimal time to harvest carrots is within a month after they mature, less in very warm weather. Harvest when the soil is moist. To prolong the fall harvest in cold climates, mulch plants well with 1 foot of dry straw and cover with plastic that’s weighted down with something heavy.

      Varieties

      ‘Carrot Suko’(Baby Carrot): 70 days; very sweet; bred for growing as baby carrots 3 to 4 inches long

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