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What to make with ?


mrsadm

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I was at the farmer's market this morning and found some beautiful leeks. Any suggestions for what to make from them (other than leek and potato soup)?

Thanks for any ideas!

*****

"Did you see what Julia Child did to that chicken?" ... Howard Borden on "Bob Newhart"

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I tend to use them as a vegetable dish. My normal way of preparing them is to cut off the tops and bottoms, clean, then slice them into fine "noodles" lengthwise. Saute in a bit of oil and butter until tender.

I've also done the same as above, but added shredded cabbage just when the leeks were starting to get aromatic, a bit of water, and boil/steam until tender. (If you get the water amount right, it'll boil away at just about the right time.)

You could toss in a bit of bacon at the start with either of those, to liven up the flavour a bit. (Bacon makes me wheeze, so I don't bother.)

Season to taste.

The other night I made sauteed potatoes with leek, and that was quite nice. (Chop the leeks into thin rings/halfcircles, saute in butter+oil, add parboiled potatoes, saute until golden and yummy looking. :smile: )

That's just stuff I've kind of made up as I've had leeks to use up.

I've seen baby leeks grilled, but I don't think it'd work so well with larger leeks, just because they'd tend to fall apart.

Also, my sister-in-law adores leeks in cheese sauce, but I've never made it for her, so I don't have a recipe.

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My favorite is braised leeks and although I do not have a recipe (been cooking them for 50 years)

Recipe Source has a basic recipe and 3 others that are made exactly as I do.

I also combine them (after cooking) with glazed carrots.

My recipe (somewhat unusual) is Glazed carrots

It makes a beautiful presentation, the color combination and the flavor combination is perfect with meats and also as part of a vegetarian meal. I have a friend who is a vegetarian (not vegan) who always asks if I am going to prepare this when I invite her for dinner.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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quiche is good for summertime. bacon and leek marry well. or try some pancetta briefly rendered.

just make sure you get out all the dirt.

ps. if they are young they can be fried for garnish use, making them crispy and attractive

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I have only used leeks in Leek & Potato Soup.

However, a quick check of "The Victory Garden Cookbook" yields several suggestions, among them Leek Tart and Baked Scallops and Leeks.

Mollie Katzen's "Still Life with Menu Cookbook" includes Leeks with Black-Eyed Peas, and leeks in pilaf.

In Mollie's "Moosewood Cookbook" she includes leeks as an ingredient in her Warm Salad. The salad includes greens such as escarole, chard, Napa cabbage, and mustard greens, as well as garlic, leeks, red onion, mushrooms, celery, and cauliflower. It is dressed with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with parmesan and black pepper.

Let me know if you have any interest in any of these recipes and I'll look them up for you.

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In Mollie's "Moosewood Cookbook" she includes leeks as an ingredient in her Warm Salad. The salad includes greens such as escarole, chard, Napa cabbage, and mustard greens, as well as garlic, leeks, red onion, mushrooms, celery, and cauliflower. It is dressed with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with parmesan and black pepper.

Let me know if you have any interest in any of these recipes and I'll look them up for you.

I ended up making leek and bacon quiche and my husband loved it.

That warm salad recipe sounds wonderful!

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

*****

"Did you see what Julia Child did to that chicken?" ... Howard Borden on "Bob Newhart"

*****

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I pan-fry them cut in 1 1/2 pieces until lightly brown, add a splash of tomato sauce and a splash of stock and a handfull of black olives, cooked for 10-15 minutes.

Another favourite as a side dish is saute shredded leeks with mushrooms. Saute an onion, add leeks and saute some more, than add sliced mushrooms and cook until juices subside, salt & pepper to taste and a bit of parsley doesn't hurt.

The human mouth is called a pie hole. The human being is called a couch potato... They drive the food, they wear the food... That keeps the food hot, that keeps the food cold. That is the altar where they worship the food, that's what they eat when they've eaten too much food, that gets rid of the guilt triggered by eating more food. Food, food, food... Over the Hedge
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About ten years back, Gourmet published a great leek recipe that I've used ever since: it's the ROAST PORK LOIN WITH SHIITAKE AND LEEK COMPOTE available at epicurious.com. You don't need the wine or parsley, by the by.

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I pan-fry them cut in 1 1/2" pieces until lightly brown, add a splash of tomato sauce and a splash of stock and a handfull of black olives, cooked for 10-15 minutes.

that sounds great

I will be making it this evening

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-Neil Gaiman

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Madelleine Kamman's wonderful book "When French Women Cook" has a recipe for Leek Toast (Roties au Blanc de Poireaux) that's just out of this world, on p. 45

I don't know the legalities of posting published recipies on eGullet (I hope someone will tell me) but if you can't find it elsewhere, you basically sautee the leeks, sliced, in butter for a while, and in another pan you crisp some bacon chunks. When the leeks are cooked you add the bacon, then some cream to reduce for a while, then some goat cheese, then you spread the whole mix on top of toast slices; I use big slices from a coarse country loaf. It's a wonderful dish!

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Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

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Pound out a chicken breast fillet.

Sear it and set it aside.

Make a nice cream sauce with white wine, shalots and cream.

Or a straigt up Burre Blanc if you wish.

Add toasted almonds and sauted leeks.

Cover the chx with the sauce and toss it in the oven for 10 min or so.

A little parsely on top and your set.

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I stole this recipe from Field of Greens a long time ago...I call it "The Dish"...

1/2 lb mushrooms (crimini etc) sliced

2 (or 3) leeks, cut in half lengthwise then chopped

2 tbs butter

salt n pep

4 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 lb linguine

parmesan

SAute mushrooms with leeks, butter and s&p for 5 minutes then add the garlic

cook for a bit til getting soft

add wine and simmer, about 10 minutes--reduce down

cook linguine and add saute to this

toss and serve with grated parmesan

SIMPLE--light and good!!!

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