Leeks

Leeks are a member of the onions (allium) family, but have a unique, mild and sweet flavor when cooked.  They will hold up well in your ‘fridge for several weeks when stored in a plastic zippered bag that is left partially open.  Typically you would use just the white part of the leek, but I hate throwing away any part of a vegetable and freeze the dark green tops for when I make soup.

Leeks grow in sandy soil and when they push through the earth bits of sand get stuck between their layers.  Here is a video from MarthaStewart.com on how to wash and prepare leeks for cooking.

Braised Halibut and Leeks

This is a simple, but elegant recipe originally from Cooks Illustrated that gives the leeks a prominent role in the dish.  As the recipe promises, you will end up with perfectly cooked fish, the sweet leeks and a sauce that is produced in the braising process.  Halibut can be quite pricey these days and I think it could be substituted with cod or haddock which would probably need a little less time cooking, but would be equally delicious.

Leek and Cheese Toastie

Here is a simple recipe for a Leek and Cheese Toastie from the River Cottage Veg cookbook from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (which BTW is a very nice vegetable cookbook that keeps things fairly simple, but goes well beyond telling you how to saute green beans in butter).  Think of a toastie as a type of open-face sandwich that you eat with a knife and fork.  It makes a nice light supper with a salad.

With this toastie, you gently sweat the leeks until tender before adding some thyme, cream and then some cheese.  This mixture gets spread on toasted bread and then is browned in the broiler.  Mmmmmm, I bet this could even be tough for kids to resist.