Aillée, fresh garlic shoots

Aillée in Lyon, or aillette as it is sometimes called in other parts of France, is the sprouted young spring primeur version of the heads of garlic that we see preserved throughout the year. Coming out now in Lyon, it is edible from the green shoots to the bulb, and it has a wonderful flavor, milder and sweeter than mature older garlic. The man who grew this aillée likes his minced in fromage blanc with a touch of salt at the end of a meal. I like mine sliced thin in salads, sauteed with whatever's in the pan, and also replacing the leek in my old kitchen notebook favorite Petite Tarte aux Poireaux, extending its season from winter into spring. If you see this at the market, don't pass it up!