Leopoldia comosa — tassel hyacinth

Very easy to grow and undemanding and easily propagated"In April - Mai appear the small fertile green violet flowers on a spike which is coronated by an elegant "tassel" of sterile violet flowers. These neat uniform bulbs are commonly found in the south of France.which can be eaten. As for the taste, it is quite soft and not like onion or garlic. It resembles mushrooms somehow. Angelo Porcelli: They are prepared in several ways, but all start with the boiling of the bulbs, to remove the excess of bitterness . Then the bulbs can be served simply with olive oil and pepper, as a salad with bread and small tomatos (pomodorini). Alternatively, the boiled bulbs are squeezed and mixed with eggs and flour, grated cheese, parsley and fried all together. Another way is boiled in water and vinegar, in the same way for eggplants/aubergines or artichokes and them stored in glass with olive oil. There's no garlic flavour in them anyway, but rightly a mix of mushrooms with a touch of bitter, that is...lampascioni!"