Fix a leek

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/08/2010 (4999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Try as it might, the deluge last weekend didn’t put a damper on the crowd at Red River Exhibition Park on Saturday morning. Determined to dash between the raindrops, I headed out to the farmers’ market (see sidebar for location and times) and was greeted by a steady wind and plenty of things to choose from. I found myself inspired to make a few recipes with some beautiful, fresh, locally grown leeks.

Leeks are a mild, sweeter member of the onion family that grow between 30 and 90 centimetres high. They are usually used to flavour soups, broths and stews.

What to look for:

Leeks should be straight and firm to the touch. The tops should be bright green. If the leeks are soft, or dried out, or have brown spots or a swollen bulb, leave them behind.

How to store them:

Fresh leeks will last in the fridge for up to two weeks. They can be stored (before washing) in a root cellar for between one and three months. They can be frozen, but should be blanched first and then cooked without thawing. They will keep frozen for about 3 months.

Any leeks, once cooked, will spoil quickly and only last a day or two in the fridge.

Cleaning leeks is a 4-step process:

1. Remove outer leaves and trim off the heavy green tops.

2. Trim off the hair-like roots but not the base.

3. Cut lengthwise into the leek two or three times but not all the way through the bottom.

4. Spread the layers open under cold running water until all the soil is gone. Drain. (I found virtually no soil at all in the leeks I bought).

Hopefully last weekend’s rain hasn’t jeopardized the rest of this year’s leeks. Here is a recipe for a side dish, a quiche for breakfast or brunch and a soup:

Simmered leeks with Dijon sauce

This would be a very nice side with roast chicken and some rice. Save a little of the simmering broth to spoon over the rice. You can also add it to any soup recipe. Just remove the herbs and vegetables. When simmering leeks are whole like this, handle them with care. They will fall apart and in this dish, you want to be able to fan out each leek on an individual plate with the layers intact.

1 leek per person, trimmed to about 1-inch of the pale green

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs of parsley

4 sprigs of thyme

1 carrot sliced thin

1 stalk celery, sliced thin

1 chicken or vegetable-flavoured bouillon cube

Slice the leeks lengthwise from the green to about 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) above the root. You want to open it up but not slice it through. Trim off the root hairs. Gently spread the layers and rinse thoroughly. If there is a lot of soil, you can soak the leeks in a bowl of cold water and then rinse.

In a large skillet, place the leeks in a single layer and spread the herbs and carrots and vegetables around them. Add the bouillon cube. Cover completely with water. Bring to a simmer, breaking up the bouillon cube.

Let simmer gently for about 25 minutes until cooked through, do not overcook. Remove leeks from water to individual plates, spreading layers slightly. Spoon some of the simmering broth over top and serve with Dijon sauce.

 

Dijon sauce:

5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard

15 to 30 ml (1 to 2 tbsp) Italian dressing (your favourite)

125 ml (1/2 cup) sour cream 

Stir together sauce ingredients. Adjust mustard or salad dressing to your taste. Serve along side or drizzled over simmered leeks.

 

 

Leek and salmon quiche 

This salmon and leeks together create a hint of sweetness. It’s very tasty. This would be nice with a spinach salad.

22.5 cm (9-inch) pastry shell

2 large leeks, trimmed to 2.5 cm (1 inch) of the light green, root trimmed off

15 ml (1 tbsp) butter

15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

85 gram tin of salmon, drained and bones removed

250 ml (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese

4 eggs

250 ml (1 cup) milk

5 ml (1 tsp) dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Bake pie shell at 220C (400F) for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and lower heat to 190C (375F).

Slice the leeks lengthwise, open up layers and rinse thoroughly. Slice thinly and sauté in butter and olive oil until soft. Turn off heat.

Spread salmon, then leeks, then grated cheddar evenly over the bottom of the pie shell.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour into pie crust. Bake in oven for 25 to 35 minutes until centre is cooked.

Serves 4 to 6.

 

Cream of mushroom and leek soup

3 leeks, trimmed to 2.5 cm (1 inch) of light green, roots trimmed and cleaned

50 ml (1/4 cup) butter

50 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil

250 grams (1/2 lb) fresh, sliced mushrooms

30 ml (2 tbsp)

1 chicken bouillon cube

750 ml (3 cups) milk

250 ml (1 cup) sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

dash of Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Slice leeks thinly. Gently sauté in butter and olive oil until soft. Remove from pan to soup pot.

Sauté mushrooms in additional olive oil. Remove to soup pot.

Add chicken bouillon cube to soup pot and break it up while heating pot on low. Add a little water if necessary. Turn off heat until ready to add milk and sour cream.

In a large bowl, blend sour cream into milk. Add to soup pot. Resume heating on low.

Heat soup through — do not boil. Add Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Soup can be served as is or cooled and blended in batches for cream soup. Reheat slowly so as not to "break" the milk ingredients. Serve with crusty bread. Makes about 1.5 litres (6 cups).