Photo Credit: La Domestique
When people think leeks, they often picture leek and potato soup, or some sort of winter warmer. While leeks do grow well in cooler weather and have a robust winter season, summer leeks allow for a diverse group of warm weather recipes you might otherwise miss out on. The summer leek tends to be smaller and more tender, lending itself well to more delicate preparation methods.
To Grow
One of the first things you learn is to never let your veggies bolt and flower! And the rule holds true for leeks. Once the plant flowers, the stalk-like cluster of leaves we eat becomes much too fibrous and tough. However, let it be known that anything with edible flowers automatically gets five stars in my book, and the oniony and garlicky flavor of leek flowers is delicious. So if you happen to go on vacation and come back to beautiful, compact, orb-like heads of delicate petals, don’t dismay. Simply enjoy the beauty, or pluck off the petals to garnish your salad!
To Clean / Prep
Leeks are a dirt trap! First, give them a quick rinse before cutting off and discarding the dark green splayed leaves and the root end. Now you have two options. If you’re going to chop up leeks for a soup, cut your white and light green stalk lengthwise, flip the cut sides down on your cutting board, and slice crosswise into 1/4 inch wide strips. Add them to a bowl, cover with water and move them around with your fingers so that the silt sinks to the bottom, and you can easily scoop out the clean leeks with a sieve. Or, if you need the leeks whole, slit the top inch open with your knife and splay out the leaves, running them under the faucet to dislodge any dirt that may have snuck in through the top.
Roasted Carrot & Leek Salad with Greek Yogurt & Gorgonzola Dressing
Ingredients
8 medium carrots
5 medium leeks
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt
handfull pumpkin seeds
Dressing
100 grams Gorgonzola
150 grams Greek yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon mustard
salt
pepper
Method
Peel and slice the carrots lengthwise. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Place the carrots on the prepared baking tray, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add some salt.
Slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Clean them. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Arrange the leeks in a single layer. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add some salt. Cover the tray with aluminum foil. Seal it.
Roast the carrots and leeks in an 180C/350F oven for 30 minutes.
To make the dressing, just place all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
To serve the salad, first separate the layers of the leeks and arrange them on each plate. Add some of the carrots. Drizzle some of the dressing and finish with the seeds/nuts.
Featured Leek Flatbread Recipes from Foodstand Posts!
Wondering how to make that inspiring post you saw on Foodstand? Here are your fellow Foodstand friends with their recipes!
Pesto Flatbread with Leeks, Kale and Caramelized Onions
Homemade by chefshauna
“I really love leeks. I really love flatbread too. Rather than baking the toppings on the flatbread in the oven, I sauted them separately and added them on top before serving to make sure they wouldn’t dry out. “
Ingredients
Dough
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 package yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp maple syrup
Caramelized Onions
1 large yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
water as needed
Walnut Basil Pesto
4 big handfuls of fresh basil
3/4 cup of walnuts
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chickpea miso
1/2 cup of water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
Leek and Kale Topping
2 leeks, trimmed, washed and chopped into thin slices
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cups of kale
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt as desired
Method:
Here’s the full recipe from Foodstander Chef Shauna, a Holistic Nutritionist and Vegan Chef in Brooklyn.
Mushroom and Leek Flatbread Pizza
Homemade by foodbymars
Say hello to a super simple, vegan, paleo, and gluten-free flatbread pizza crust made with Otto’s Cassava Flour!!
Ingredients
Crust:
1 cup cassava flour
1/2 + 1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil, divided in half
1 flax egg or egg
Sauce:
1 cup soaked cashews
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp non dairy milk (I used coconut)
Toppings:
6 oz mushrooms, sliced thin
1 leek, cleaned and sliced thin
pinch sea salt
pinch dried oregano
optional: garnish with fresh parsley
Method:
Here’s the full recipe from Foodstander foodbymars, a food writer whose blog features clean, seasonal recipes.
More Leeks around Foodstand!
Massachusetts Hake with caramelized leeks and thyme!
Ingredients: Hake, leeks, thyme
Posted by: Emma
Dinner al fresco. Red curry + coconut chicken skewers, grilled local leeks + broccoli, and peanut dipping sauce.
Ingredients: Zucchini, Coconut Oil, Garlic, Maple Syrup, Tahini, Sea Salt
Posted by: Kenanhill
Braised leeks with chickpeas, dill & feta.
Ingredients: Chickpeas, cucumber, feta, dill, leeks
Posted by: laurenschoen
A spring welcoming salad
Ingredients: Beets, roasted leeks, heirloom spinach, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, walnuts
Posted by: Createlicious