loving leeks

Leeks

Lately, I have leeks on my brain. They are one of the most influential flavors of Loire Valley in France, located just west of le Centre where Paris lies. The western sea breeze creates an ideal climate for vegetation in the Loire Valley and it's reflected in the cuisine. I fell for leeks during my stay in France in the Summer of 2002 with my good friend Arthur. A combination of being young, emo, and a month long wine and cigarette infused buzz made me fall in love with everything French.

My hosts cooked nearly every meal I ate. Many of the dishes use fresh lettuces, carrots and of course leeks. The smell of the leeks cooking in butter on the pan sends a cozy feeling over me every time. The taste makes me lose my head for a moment and reminds me of riding motorbikes in the salty air along the Brittany seawall, the warm sun and sounds of Solidays Music Festival, and the bitter grapes off Champagne vines.

While grocery shopping last week, I happened upon some robust leeks that couldn't pass up. To me, leeks are a very intimidating vegetable. Every time I come across them I slow down and give them a good look over.

On this day, I took a deep breath, wrapped up a stalk and checked out. I consider my options: mushroom and leek risotto, vichyssoise, or a scallop and leek tart. But it takes a real commitment to buy leeks. There is no such thing as spontaneous cooking when leeks are involved. Most dishes must be thought out and well prepared to appreciate the flavor of this vegetable.

I decide to make something familiar. I prepared rotini whole wheat pasta with a leek and scallion sauce topped with sun dried tomatoes.

The sauce:
1 tbspn butter on pan; cook diced leeks and chopped scallions until soft and brown; add 1 tspn of diced garlic and let it cook 3-5 mins (add more butter if necessary to keep from burning); pour in 1 cup of heavy cream; bring to a simmer and allow it to cook for 15-20; salt and pepper to taste. Pic above


I toss the cooked rotini in the sauce and then add the tomatoes. It rules. It's a simple dish to prepare with a lot of flavor. Easy for the Russ Willis' out there who complain about cooking for one.

Leeks are a wonderful veggie that I think people should use a little more. There's a ton of great, simple recipes using leeks--I'd love to hear your favorites.

A little background...

Leeks are a relative of the onion and garlic species. It grows on a stalk on a bulb, and has a very unique and distinct taste. They also have a very rich history, as far as vegetables go. Leeks date back in time to ancient Mesopotamia. It is one of the few mentioned vegetables in the Old Testament as a food commonly eaten by the Egyptians. The ruthless Roman Emperor Nero would eat leeks in oil at nearly every meal, because it was thought to enhance your singing voice. The leek is also a long standing symbol of Wales, England, dating back to Henry V.