Omelet > wrote:

>In article >, "cybercat" >
>wrote:

>> Why is half the head unusable?

>Shredding, drying, rot.

I find about 90% of a leek to be usable -- the extreme green
end is too touch to be edible, along with the root itself (both
can go into stock though). Then sometimes you must remove an
outer leaf, as you would on any member of the onion family,
if it has shriveled or slime-ified.

Steve