CHUNKY leek and potato soup is one of my winter comfort favourites.

And leeks are one of those vegetables that should have a place in your plot because they are long-lasting and provide taste from the veg patch when there is not too much else about.

This year I re-visited an old favourite and tried a new leek on the block too, courtesy of my daughter, Roseanna, who had some surplus seed.

My old favourite, Lyon Prizetaker, from Dobies and other seedsmen, was introduced in the 1880s and is still going strong on the show bench and in the kitchen. The lovely long and delicious strong-tasting, shanks are very cold hardy, staying in good condition in the garden for months.

The particular delight of this French leek is that it matures from early autumn onwards, and if you take the trouble to earth-up as it matures it will produce very long white stems.

It is a winter hardy leek bred for the UK climate that will thrive in even the coldest winters.

It bulks up quickly giving chunky and tasty leeks that can be harvested over an extended period.

Like many of the more modern varieties it has some rust resistance as well as excellent tolerance to thrips.

Leeks, whether grown in the garden or a deep container on the patio, where their foliage is very attractive, are so handy because they provide a crop from autumn through to spring when warmer weather will make them ‘bolt’, leaf growth hardening the core of the shank.

They can be sown direct in the garden or started indoors - my preferred method is in a 9in pot.

Choose a sunny, sheltered site with well-drained soil.

Dig the plot well, removing weeds and working in plenty of well-rotted manure.

Improve the drainage in heavy soil by mixing in some horticultural sand or grit.

This is a hungry crop — spread a general balanced fertiliser over the soil a week or so before sowing, rake in — and look forward to next winter’s soup.