Category: Leeks

  You can serve this as a hearty appetizer or first course or even as dinner with a big salad on the side. If you don’t have goat cheese on hand, feta would work too or even just a little butter. Quantities are approximate so scale up or down to suit your needs. ... Read more »

This combination, as do many, came about because my CSA had plenty of both leeks and purple sprouting broccoli. It came together quickly and is sweet and delicious. Purple sprouting broccoli stems can be fibrous and tough so take a bite of the raw stem and see if it's too tough. If it's tough, just peel back the skin with a sharp knife as you might on regular broccoli stems and then proceed with cutting the stalks in to 2-3-inch lengths.  ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_13598" align="aligncenter" width="660"] This version included lots of garlic scapes and fava beans but no peas. It's a good template to use what you have.[/caption] This is a classic Italian preparation for a variety of spring/early summer vegetables and here's a version with peas and pea shoots. You can toss it with pasta or gnocchi, topped with some aged pecorino or Parmesan or enjoy as a side with fish or meat or egg dishes. ... Read more »

Italians make many versions of this simple dish. It is suited to spring time and the tender green (and sometimes leafy) produce that starts showing up in the markets.   The veggies, in typical Italian style, are not left al dente (like pasta is) but are cooked through and sometimes even mashed up a bit to really blend the flavors. You can finish with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice or simply with salt, pepper and a little more olive oil.  Serve alongside fish, or top it with a fried or poached egg or toss it with pasta or just with some crusty bread and cheese for a light dinner.... Read more »

Lovely tender little parsnips baked with a bit of milk, some potatoes and leeks make for a sweet and fragrant dish. I make this in an 8 x 13” dish and we eat it over several days but by all means halve the recipe if that seems like too much.... Read more »

--adapted from Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan   This is such a classic soup, and for good reason. It's delicate yet complex and just lovely. I like it with croutons and drizzle of olive oil and a bit of chopped parsley. It's also good with toasted bread with fresh goat cheese. This serves many but the leftovers are delicious though it does not freeze well, in my experience. But it will keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge.... Read more »

This is more technique than recipe and is one of those that can be endlessly adapted and is a good template.  ... Read more »

--adapted from Adam Ried from the Culinate.com collection   This is one of those clever dishes where vegetables and grains seamlessly blend and in this case a little rice goes a long way--adding heft and texture but really not much volume. The parsley and lemon are wonderful finishes.   ... Read more »

  --adapted fromTender by Nigel Slater   I think of this as both comfort and company food. It’s fairly straightforward to make and is always delicious and elegant. For a quicker alternative you can cook the leeks down with the broth and wine until silky and then toss in pieces of chicken breast (instead of whole thighs) that will cook very quickly.   Serves 4... Read more »

Stewed leeks make a wonderful galette topping. This is delicious at room temperature as well and if you can figure out how to transport is a great picnic/potluck dish. With a big green salad it's a perfect light supper. [caption id="attachment_18373" align="aligncenter" width="660"] For this version I halved (lengthwise) a few asparagus spears and arranged them like spokes which was pretty but the spears tend to fall off when eating. You can have all sorts of fun with variations though. . .[/caption]... Read more »

This is quite a simple but elegant side dish. This would be a lovely side to any kind of meat or fish. I served it as a side to a bean dish topped with a poached egg for a catered dinner once and this got the most compliments. Also lovely with pasta. Sometimes I add leeks as well, which is a very nice addition.... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_20729" align="aligncenter" width="660"] I actually didn't have leeks for this version and just used 1 1/2 large onions. It was still delicious.[/caption]   For more on this soup see this post. But mostly just make it. If you have cooked (or canned) beans on hand this soup comes together in 20-30 minutes and is a very satisfying one-dish meal.  ... Read more »

--Inspired by the Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers   I love panades: stale bread and stewed onions slowly baked with stock and other vegetables and this winter squash version and this one with kale are also fantastic. This one takes quite a while to bake so might be a better weekend dish or prep it in the morning and put in the oven the minute you get home. You can use a combination of shallots and leeks rather than onions if that's what you have and you can use other greens--dinosaur kale is particularly good as well.   Serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side dish... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_8991" align="aligncenter" width="660"] The vegetables and the parboiled whole grain farro.[/caption] This is a rustic, delicious “risotto” that is a bit chewier thanks to the farro and perfect for wintery weather. You could certainly use Arborio rice or barley instead of the farro if that’s what you have on hand. If you have whole farro, i.e. not pearled you'll want to parboil for 10 minutes first. Feel free to make other changes too, add a clove of garlic, use romano instead of Parmesan, skip the wine, . . .... Read more »

  Serve this hearty gratin as a main dish with a big salad. This a good dish to use up leftover rice. I always cook more than I need for one dish and then freeze the rest for dishes like this. You can also use less rice and more vegetables,  more leeks, less cabbage. Make it work for what you have/like. ... Read more »

Leeks are a bit of an unsung hero in the kitchen. They improve, deepen and sweeten, anything they touch. They are beautiful and robust and keep very well. They can be the star of the show--savory leek tart, potato leek soup, leeks vinaigrette--or a supporting figure in many a soup or sauce, braised meat dish or frittata or hash.   They are in the same family as onions and garlic but are sweeter and milder. Their green ends are commonly used in vegetable, meat or fish stocks but they are also good in most anything you're using the rest of the leeks for so there's no need to discard anything but the very ratty and fibrous parts at the very top.   They are also known for harboring sandy dirt between their many layers so take extra care washing them. I often make slits part way down the sides and then run water down through the layers. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG-1j_IpJ4Y&feature=youtu.be[/embed]... Read more »