Now, I can be a "big picture" kind of girl when the need arises. I can look past the exposed drywall and sundry opportunities to test out that recent tetanus shot, but when I am without access to my kitchen for too long I get a little twitchy. I scheduled my first produce delivery to coincide with the excavation of the business part of the kitchen and when the box arrived, I pushed aside piles of plastic sheeting and swept up the chunks of construction debris that only the dog finds edible (drywall, why???) to set about controlling my otherwise chaotic environment the only way I know how - cooking. (Well, cooking and the occasional carafe of wine.)
This week's box, as my fellow "Valley-Boxers" know, contained some citrus, broccoli, bok choi, and a glorious assortment of greens. Taking up the length of the box (and a fair amount of it's weight) was the most ridiculously huge pair of leeks I have ever seen. Not the anemic, pale leeks one sees at the market, but beautiful very green and very white leeks. (Lest you think I am waxing a little too poetic about leeks, please know that in my research to find leek recipes and lore I found a biblical reference to them. Apparently, the Israelites were so enamored of the leek that when they were complaining about their shriveled gullets out in the post-exodus wilderness, one of the highlights of Egyptian cuisine specifically mentioned was the leek.)
Leeks are, for me, one of those vegetables that I don't buy unless I need too. The rest of the veggies in the box were ones that I use regularly and can easily incorporate into any weeknight meal. I really didn't have any immediate plans to make vichyssoise. So what to do?
After a little research and a whole lot of therapeutic cooking I determined that a.) those two, freakishly large leeks were not nearly enough, b.) although it was probably poor form to complain about the manna, the Israelites were on to something with the leek thing, and c.) the simplest preparations are usually the best - and most comforting.
Here is a recipe for leeks that is quick, easy to incorporate into a meal, and open to additions and interpretations. *
Sauteed Leeks
8 cups leeks (cleaned and cut)
1 clove garlic, smashed or minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 chicken stock (I am one of those freaks who has home made in the freezer, but canned works just fine)
salt and pepper to taste
Clean the leeks and drain well. Heat a large pan and saute the garlic. Add the leeks and saute until they begin to collapse. (Not too wilted, they will lose the lovely, sweet leek flavor). Add remaining ingredients and cook, uncovered, until the leeks are just tender.
*Interpretations/additions
Use more garlic to taste. I made this with three cloves and it was great. If wine is an issue, lose the wine and make up the difference in stock. Make sure to add a liberal dash of vinegar or lemon juice to make up for the acid lost when not using the wine. If you want to make this part of a dairy meal, use vegetable broth instead of chicken. And finally, red pepper flakes or a squirt of Sriracha Hot Sauce make a nice addition, if you're the spicy sort.
Roast Turnips with Leeks and Pumpkin - from The Silver Spoon cookbook
7 oz*. pumpkin (or orange fleshed squash) sliced
1 tsp fresh thyme
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
7 oz. leeks, white parts only, sliced
11 oz. turnips, trimmed and sliced
2 tsp sesame seeds
salt
Preheat oven to 400. Place pumpkin slices on a sheet of foil, season with salt and thyme. Fold foil to enclose pumpkin completely, place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the leeks and turnips and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the pumpkin and cook for a few minutes more. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and drizzle with olive oil and serve.
*"What is this?", you say. "Measurements in weight, not volume??" Get a scale. Some are less than $30 and really go a long way in the kitchen. Especially with European cookbooks and most definitely with baking. Do it. Now. I mean it.
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