"In any event, leeks were a favorite vegetable of the ancient
Egyptians. The vegetable later found
its way into the hands of the Greeks and Romans, who felt leeks were good for
the throat." "The Roman emperor Nero in
the first century A.D. ate vast amounts of leek soup to improve his
speechmaking voice. His nickname,
Porrophagus, means "leekeater."
The leek is one of the national emblems
of Wales,
whose citizens wear it - or the daffodil
- on St. David's Day. According to one legend, King Cadwaladr
of Gwynedd ordered his soldiers to identify
themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle
against the Saxons
that took place in a leek field. "In Wales there is a traditional spring
plowing festival called the cymmortha, a gathering as old as the Welsh people
themselves. After the plowing, it was
customary for each farmer to contribute a homegrown leek to a communal pot of
stew."
The leek is a vegetable that belongs to the same family as the onion and garlic. And if you can
believe it, elephant garlic is a type of leek!
"The edible part of the leek plant is sometimes called a stem, though
technically it is a bundle of leaf sheaths.
Rather than forming a tight bulb like the onion, the leek produces a
long cylinder of bundled leaf sheaths. The portions usually used are the white onion
base and light green stalk. The dark
green ends (or "tails") can be used to flavor stock."
"Perhaps Vichyssoise,
a cold pureed potato leek soup, is the most famous leek dish. You may be
surprised to learn that contrary to its name, this dish is an American
creation, albeit by a French chef. It was created by Chef Louis Diat in New
York City's Ritz Carlton Hotel. He created the perfect cold soup for summer
around 1900, inspired by boyhood memories of asking his mother for cold milk to
add to hot soup to cool it off enough to eat."
Leeks can be stored anywhere from five days up to two weeks.
Cooked leeks should be covered, refrigerated, and used within one to two days.
We hope you have enjoyed your 1st experience at our new
pick-up place on Dayton. We love it
here and like the new set up that enables us to engage more with all of you.
More leeks and onions have been planted along
with lettuce, radishes, and peas. This
week we'll be planting a huge amount of garlic that won't, unfortunately, be
harvested until late spring/early summer of next year.
Potage Parmentier (Leek Soup)
3 medium leeks
3 medium potatoes
4 ½ cups cold water
½ cups half and half or whole milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
chopped chives to garnish
Wash leeks and slice into 1/8 inch lengths. (Don't use the dark tough green part.) Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch
thick. Combine the leeks, potatoes,
broth and water in a large, heavy pot or saucepan and cover. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high
heat. Reduce heat and simmer 35 to 45
minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Without draining off the broth, mash the vegetables in the saucepan with
a potato masher until they are fairly smooth.
(If they will not mash easily, the soup has not cooked long enough. Let it simmer 10 to 15 minutes longer.) Add the half and half, butter, salt, and
pepper. (You can add up to ½ cup skim
milk if you want thinner soup.) Heat
the soup just to the boiling point. Be
careful not to boil it, though, because it will make it curdle. Sprinkle each serving with chives.
Baked Leek and Potato Gratin
2 lbs medium potatoes, thinly sliced
2 large leeks, trimmed
7 ounces Brie or Camembert cheese, sliced
Scant 2 cups light cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the potatoes in plenty of lightly salted, boiling water for 3
minutes, until slightly softened, then drain.
Cut the leeks into ½ inch lengths and blanch them in boiling water for 1
minute, until softened then drain. Turn
half the potatoes into a shallow ovenproof dish and spread them out to the
edge. Cover with 2/3 of the leeks, then
add the remaining potatoes. Tuck the
slices of cheese and the remaining leeks in among the top layer of
potatoes. Season with salt and pepper
and pour the cream over. Bake for 1
hour until tender and golden. Cover
with foil if the top starts to overbrown before the potatoes are tender.
Leek Fritters
4 large leeks (about 2 ½ lb) thickly sliced
½ - ¼ cup coarse matzo meal (or bread crumbs)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
olive or vegetable oil for shallow frying
Cook the leeks in salted, boiling water for 5 minutes or until
just tender and bright green. Drain
well and let cool. Chop the leeks
coarsely. Put in a bowl and combine
with the matzo meal, eggs and seasoning.
Heat 1/4/ inch oil in a skillet.
Using 2 tablespoons, carefully spoon the leek mixture into the hot oil. Cook over medium-high heat until golden
brown on the underside, then turn and cook the second side. Drain on paper towels. Add more oil if needed and heat before
cooking more mixture.
Leek Pie
9inch pie shell (uncooked
2 ½ lb leeks, thinly sliced
3 tbsp butter
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup dry sherry
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp minced thyme
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Prick and chill pie shell. Melt
butter in saucepan and add leeks. Stir
and cook them over low heat until they are clear. Cool them well. Combine and
heat until slowly the ingredients from eggs to thyme. Stir into leek mix. Brush
bottom of pie shell with egg white.
Fill with slightly cooled leek mix.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400 then reduce to 300 and bake until crust in
light brown, about ½ hour.
Cock-a-leekie
Soup
6 leeks
3 cups boiling water
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 ½ cup well-seasoned strong chicken broth
½ cup cream
Cut leeks in half, lengthwise, then crosswise in 1/8 inch
slices. Put in boiling hot water and salt.
Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Add rest of ingredients except cream and
bring to boil. Scald and stir in cream.
Horseradish Creamed Leeks
White
& pale green part of 4 leeks, trimmed, left whole, & each leek slit
down 1 side to within 1 inch of the base
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon drained bottled horseradish, or to taste
3 tablespoons grated Gruyère
In
a large bowl of cold water fan out the leaves of the leaks and rinse them well
until there is no grit. In a large skillet heat the butter over moderate heat
until the foam begins to subside, add the leeks, patted dry, and toss them to
coat them with the butter. Add the broth and the cream, bring the liquid to a
boil, and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 35
minutes, or until the leeks are very tender. Transfer the leeks with a slotted
spatula to a gratin dish. Stir the horseradish into the liquid remaining in the
skillet and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the
leeks, sprinkle it with Gruyère, and broil the leeks under a preheated broiler
about 4 inches from the heat for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is golden.
Wild Rice with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Corn
1
1/2 cups wild rice (about 9 ounces)
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 11/2-pound squash)
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (white part only)
1 1/2 cups frozen white corn kernels, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
Rinse
rice in strainer under cold water; drain. Bring 6 cups water and 2 teaspoons
coarse salt to boil in large saucepan. Add rice; bring to boil. Reduce heat;
simmer uncovered until rice grains begin to split and are tender but still
slightly chewy, about 45 minutes. Drain. Spread on rimmed baking sheet to cool.
Transfer to bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1
day ahead. Cover and chill. Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil rimmed baking
sheet. Toss squash cubes and 3 tablespoons oil in medium bowl. Spread squash in
single layer on prepared sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast just until
tender but firm enough to hold shape, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Transfer squash to bowl. Cool. DO AHEAD: Can
be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add
leeks and 3/4 cup water; simmer until leeks are tender, about 7 minutes. Add
corn; simmer 2 minutes longer. Add rice and butternut squash; simmer until
heated through and liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons
butter and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.
Vichyssoise
2 leeks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup thinly sliced potatoes
2 1/3 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 1/8 cups heavy whipping cream
Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter
until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown. Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste;
do not overdo them! Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30
minutes. Puree in a blender or food
processor until very smooth. Cool. Gently stir in the cream before serving.
Leek and Tomato Casserole
Top
and tail leeks; slit them down almost to base. Fan out under cold running water
to rinse off all dirt.2
large leeks, trimmed, washed and cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
2 large onions, cut into eighths
14 oz can tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pint chicken or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch of dried thyme
Heat the oven to 350
degrees. Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Turn into a
large ovenproof dish or casserole, cover and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 - 2
hours, until tender. Serve hot.
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