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Feature Articles  

What  are Leeks?

Meet a Not-Too-Famous Onion

Discovering What We Don’t Know About Leeks

Alien Encounters:

Drumming Up Inspiration for Strange-Sounding Vegetables

A Week of Leeks:

Get to know Leeks, 7 Easy Ways

In Every Issue

Why We Love It

Partners in Flavor and Season

Leek Season

Vegetable Boosters

Picky Eater Tips

Money Saving Tricks

News from the Farm

Cooking School

Cooking Classes:

White Fish and Leeks en Papillote    

Roasted Leeks and Butternut Squash Salad

Buying the Best

Storing for Flavor

Prepping Tricks & Tips

Cooking Basics

Recipes, Recipes, Recipes

13 Easy Recipes: Make

Leeks a Mid-Winter Favorite

7 Days / 7 Ways to cook leeks

           +7 tempting menus

• 4 cups white and light green parts of leeks cut into 1” dice

Microwave leeks, until crisp-tender and slightly sharp-tasting, about 4-5 minutes total. (Note:  While this level of doneness is best with the Asian dressing, feel free to cook another minute or two for slightly sweeter and softer leeks.)  While leeks cook, prepare dressing:  

• 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. canola, safflower or sunflower oil
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

Whisk together in a small mixing bowl.  When smooth, gradually whisk in:

• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1-2 limes)
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. fish sauce

Pour dressing over cooked leeks.  Toss gently to coat.  Sprinkle with:

• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Serve immediately.

Optional Garnish  If presentation is important, dice some of the green parts of the leek, low-heat saute (just lightly), and sprinkle over the top of salad for color.  Sprinkle sesame seeds over everything.

The addition of diced and sauteed leek greens add a nice bit of color, especially with the sesame seeds.  We served this dish with Hamburger Patties and Carrot-Turnip Mash.    

Monday

Leeks with Bacon and Fennel

Cooking Technique:  Sweating

• 4 slices lean bacon (pork, turkey or vegetarian style)

Fry bacon in a large saute pan until crisp.  Remove bacon to a cutting board, then pour all but 1 Tbsp. of fat into a jar (If bacon is so lean that it doesn’t render this much fat, add olive oil to make up the difference.)  To bacon fat or warmed oil, add:  

• 4 cups white and light green parts of leeks  cut into 1” dice

Sweat leeks until sweet and soft, about 15-20 minutes.  While leeks cook, cut bacon into small pieces (about 1/2” square) and reserve.  Just before leeks are done, push them to sides of pan just enough to create a 2-3” opening in the middle of pan for:   

• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1/8 tsp. chili flakes (more, to taste)

Cook spices for 1-2 minutes to toast, stirring occasionally, then stir gently into leeks.  Sprinkle reserved bacon bits over top.  Taste and add sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste, but note that because of the saltiness of the bacon, additional salt may not be needed.  

Tuesday

Leeks  in Mustard Vinaigrette

“Poor Man’s Asparagus”

Cooking Technique:  Steaming

• 4 large leeks, 1½” diameter (or 12 baby leeks)

Fill a large steaming pan with 1” hot water and put on to boil.  Slice root ends from leeks, being sure to leave a small portion of root end intact, then cut off green parts leaving the white bottom no more than 5-6” long.  (Reserve tops for another use.)  Finally, slice leeks lengthwise into quarters.  Place in steamer tray over boiling water and steam just 3-6 minutes, until leeks turn a bright, vivid color and are tender all the way through when stabbed near the root end with a fork.  Avoid overcooking.  While leeks cook, prepare dressing:        

• 1 Tbsp. grainy mustard
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. white or red wine vinegar

Whisk together in a small mixing bowl.  Once leeks are done, remove to a serving plate.  Drizzle with dressing.      

Optional Garnish  Dress up with a sprinkling of fresh herbs like tarragon, fennel fronds, parsley or thyme.  

Serve with a Sharp, Serrated Knife   While this style of leeks can be eaten as finger food, I find it easier to cut them into pieces and eat with a fork, especially larger leeks that can be a little stringy.    

Wednesday

A classic French treatment of leeks, widely served in French restaurants according to Vegetables author James Peterson.  It is a perfect use for baby leeks.  Larger leeks can also be used, although they are a little tougher and stringier.     

Here, Leeks in Vinaigrette are served with two simple sides:  breaded fish and spaghetti squash with butter and Parmesan cheese.  Double the leek dressing and use it to quickly dress up the fish, too.   

Thursday

This recipe is a good way to use up the leek greens left over after using the white bottoms for Leeks in Vinaigrette or Leeks Au Gratin.  Just boil them an extra minute or two, as they can be slightly tougher than the white parts.  Use anything other than the very dark outer leaves and dried or stringy ends.  Because it’s difficult to cut remnants into nice, neat half rounds, just cut them into 1” dice.  

Frizzled Leek and Roasted Pear Crostini

Cooking Technique:  Frizzling

• 1 med. head garlic
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 (F).  Place garlic head in a garlic roaster or small baking dish with a lid and drizzle with oil.  Rub to coat head evenly, cover and place in oven.  Bake 45 to 60 minutes, until garlic is soft and springy when squeezed and lightly browned (don’t bake so long that it becomes dark and hard, though.)  Remove from oven and place on a cutting board.  When cool enough to handle (or use rubber gloves), slice end from garlic head and squeeze garlic cloves into a soup bowl.  Use a fork to mash into a smooth paste.  Reserve.     

• 2 large Bosc pears, cored then cut crosswise into ½” thick rings
• ½ Tbsp. butter, melted
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg

Butter an 8 x 8” baking dish, then lay pears across it in a single layer.  Brush tops of slices with melted butter and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Bake in oven with garlic for about 30- to 40 minutes, until lightly browned and tender.  Flip about halfway through the baking time.           

• 4 cups leeks, white and light green parts only, julienned to about ¼” thick and 2” long  (about 1-2 large leeks)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Frizzle leeks, using as large a saute pan as possible.  When leeks are just about done, stir in roasted and mashed garlic paste and use a fork to gently combine with leeks.  (This will take several minutes of patient stirring.)            

• 8 small slices of a whole grain French baguette

Once leeks and garlic are combined and pears are roasted (and removed from oven), preheat oven broiler.  Place bread slices on a cookie sheet and broil about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.  Transfer to a small serving platter.     

Top each crostini with one or two roasted pear slices, to cover, then an equal portion of leeks.  Serve immediately (or return to broiler for 1 to 2 more minutes in case toppings cooled while bread broiled.)           

• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional topping)

If desired, top crostini with a few crumbles of feta cheese.

Saturday

Pair Leeks, Bacon and Fennel with Red-Bean Stuffed Acorn Squash for a hearty and filling vegetarian meal.      

Fry bacon, then cut into small pieces.  

Cut leeks into 1” pieces, then sweat in 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease.

Push leeks to sides of pan so fennel and chili flakes can be toasted in center.

Add cooked bacon bits, at the end and stir everything together.  Salt and pepper only if needed.  

Steam Leeks just until they turn bright green and are tender when pierced at root end with a fork.   

As soon as leeks are done, remove to a serving plate and drizzle with dressing.  Here, red wine vinegar was substituted for white, making a darker dressing.   

The dish is made here as directed in the recipe, with just white and light green parts.  Rounding out a delightful vegetarian meal are roasted carrots and tofu filets, although meatloaf or salmon filets can be substituted.    

Leeks en Papillote with Orange and Mint

Cooking Technique:  En Papillote (i.e., “baked in paper”)

• 4 cups leek half rounds about ¼” thick, cut from white and light green parts (from 2-3 large leeks)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange or tangerine juice
• 1 tsp. dried mint leaves
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly grated pepper

Preheat oven to 375 (F).  Combine leeks, oil, juice, mint, salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss gently to combine.

• 4  sheets unbleached parchment paper, about 12” x 12”

Fold each parchment sheet in half to crease, then open sheets and lay side by side on counter.  Place an equal portion of leeks on each sheet, to one side of crease, then fold parchment sheet in half, at crease, to cover leeks.  Fold short sides several times to seal, then fold long side several times and twist both outer corners to hold folds in place.  (See step-by-step picture instructions.)  

Lay packets in a single layer on one or two cookie sheets.  Bake about 18 to 20 minutes, until leeks are tender and sweet-tasting, which can only be tested by opening a packet and tasting leeks for sweetness.  Watch leeks closely near the end of cooking time to avoid overcooking.       

• Zest and juice of one large orange or tangerine, to taste
• 4 tsp. toasted walnut oil (or high quality olive oil), to taste
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

As soon as leeks are done, place a packet on each plate, open and serve, so leeks don’t continue steaming and fade in color.  Slice open or unfold packet, then sprinkle leeks with zest, juice, oil and salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve immediately.       

The beauty of cooking en papillote:  It looks elegant, but it’s totally easy. Pair with two other easy dishes, lamb chops and baked squash, for a complete meal.       

Save leftovers for lunch the next day.  They taste good cold, too.  

Sunday

Leeks Au Gratin

Cooking Technique:  Baking

• 1 cup whole milk or plain soy milk
• 1 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 325 (F).  Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until butter melts and small bubbles form around edge of pan.

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved  

Butter bottom and sides of tart pan (or similarly sized, shallow casserole dish), then rub cut sides of garlic clove halves forcefully over bottom and sides.  When done, add clove to milk warming on stove.  

• 4 cups leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in roughly 2” long half barrels (from 4-5 medium leeks, about 1” in diameter, if possible)
• 1 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1/8 tsp. each, sea salt and freshly ground pepper  

Gently place cut leeks in a single layer in prepared casserole dish, cut sides down, trying to keep “half barrels” intact.  Sprinkle with marjoram and salt and pepper.  Once milk is heated, pour evenly over top of casserole, straining out garlic cloves.  Bake 30 minutes in preheated oven, then flip leeks gently with metal spatula and press down into milk to immerse any parts that had been above the level of liquid.  Sprinkle top of casserole with:  

• ¼ cup whole grain breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Return to oven and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until leeks are tender when stuck with a fork near the root end and most of milk has evaporated.      

Leeks au Gratin served here with Coq au Vin and brown rice, perfect accompaniments since everything can be baked in the oven together (yes, brown rice can be baked in the oven!)   

Read more about baking leeks.       

Cut leeks into “half barrels,” then lay cut side down, in a single layer across a tart pan or other shallow casserole dish.  

Note:  Walnut Oil Although it’s not critical, toasted walnut oil makes a surprisingly nice addition to this dish.    

Once the leeks are frizzled and combined with the roasted garlic . . .

For something different on a cold winter night, enjoy a simple but scrumptious appetizer with a glass of wine before dinner.

Or serve crostini as part of an easy meal, e.g., Carrot Ginger Soup (readymade by Pacific Foods) and Stir-Fried Broccoli

and pears are roasted and bread toasted . . .

simply combine for an easy but elegant appetizer or side dish.  The crostini on the right is topped with feta cheese.  

Want to get to know leeks?  Or just have some quick side dishes up your sleeve to dress up an everyday meal?  Here are:

Asian Style Warm Leek Salad

Cooking Technique:  Microwave

Curried Leeks and Walnuts

Cooking Technique:  Boiling

• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 cups leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half rounds (about 2-3 large leeks)
• 1 lemon, both zest and juice

Fill a large soup pot with about a quart of hot water, add salt, cover pan and bring to boil over high heat.  Meanwhile, wash and cut leeks and place in a colander, then zest lemon and reserve in a small bowl.         

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. high quality curry powder
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped into pieces between 1/8 and 1/4”

Warm butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat.  Once melted, stir in curry powder and continue cooking another minute, then stir in walnuts and cook another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until walnuts begin to smell toasty.      

Once walnuts are stirred into curry-butter, return your attention to leeks.   Boil 2-3 minutes, just until crisp-tender and brightly colored.  Use a skimmer to remove promptly to colander.  Shake colander over sink to remove excess water.    

By this time, the walnuts should be toasted.  Add drained leeks and reserved lemon zest and cook another minute, stirring quickly to combine everything.  Remove pan from heat.  Taste and season with a little salt or additional curry powder, to taste.  If desired, sprinkle with 1-2 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice.         

Friday

© 2009 Culinary Concepts, Inc., Boulder CO

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Vegetarian Options While chops are an easy way to round out this meal, it would be just as good vegetarian style with a white bean soup.     

Cooking en Papillote   See step-by-step photos showing how to prepare foods in parchment paper.   

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