Jill Bell wrote:
That was my pet hate about home grown leeks - they usually had to be
picked in the rain, so by the time I'd donned wellies and waterproofs,
paddled down to the veggie patch and dragged them out of the ground
covered in ud, I had freezing cold hands. Then there was all the
cleaning off to do, with cold water, by which time my hands were blue.
And they still ended up with far more mud and grot down the stems than
shop bought. In fact, I finally decided that it was easier to buy them
from the supermarket.

Blimey, you're a lot nicer to your leeks than I am. I just stick a big fork
under them and ease them out, and if they snap then, well, I was going to
chop it up anyhow. :-)

Now, I've got very little space for veggies, and a remaining son at home
who will only eat peas and sweetcorn (the frozen variety - where did I
go wrong as a parent?!?) so I restrict myself to my favourite, runner
beans, and a couple of courgette plants.

We have loads of space, with 1.5 allotments and a garden and 2 greenhouses.
And yet we /still/ run out of space cos we go mad at the potato day every
year ... !