Sunday, May 14, 2006

Leek Facts


(source) Leeks resemble a overgrown green onion

Fun Facts

  • The Welsh are HUGE fans of the leek, In fact (along with the daffodil) they named it their National Emblem!

(source)
  • In America, Leeks are commonly found in most areas of Texas throughout the year, but especially in late spring and during the winter.
  • Leeks are one of the easiest plants to grow in your home garden.





  • The Leek is a member of the onion family, but it's much more mild than the onion. So for all those who aren't fans of the onions strong flavor, a Leek will be perfect for you!

  • A high intake of Allium vegetables has been shown to reduce total cholesterol and LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels, while at the same time raising HDL, or "good"” cholesterol levels.



RECIPE


I'm hoping it'll look something like this (source)
Pea and Leek Soup
(Potato and leek soup is the most common but I want to mix it up- besides this is quicker than cooking potatoes!)

1-2 leeks
1 lb frozen peas (or fresh)
1/2 cup heavy cream

The hardest part of this dish is washing the leeks. Here's how. Cut the leeks lengthwise and loosen the layers so that water my run threw them freely. Turn on your tap and let the water do the work!
Now for the easy stuff
Boil/cook the frozen peas as you normally would. Strain and set aside. Now chop up the leek halves (we're only using the white ends not the tough green leaves). The place them in a frying pan on meduim heat with olive oil or butter. Sautee until Leeks become soft and translucent.
Now add the peas to the frying pan with the leeks for a couple of mins to soak up some of the leeks flavor. Place about half the mixture into a food processor or blender. Liquify them and while the blender/processor is running add half of your heavy cream (if mixture is too thick feel free to add a little water). Repeat this process with the remaining frying pan mixture. Put in serving dish and enjoy! (you can strain the ingredients to make a less chunky soup if you prefer- I like it chunky tho!)
I prefer to eat this with some toasted bread or crackers to dip in the soup. Tell me how you like it! (also, if this is unclear at all just let me know how I can improve)


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I have cooked with leeks a couple of times and I have to say they are easy to use and DELICIOUS. I really like them just sauteed in some olive oil.
tonight this is recipe is what I'm eating for dinner. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm not a big fan of split pea soup-I find it to be way too salty for my taste. I've made different versions of fresh pea soup, I'm hoping this one is as good as those!



PS you can try to make the above recipe VEGAN by using soft tofu instead of heavy cream- you'll probably need to reheat after blending too.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos AGAIN! I'm thinking a bit of fresh dill and black pepper, would really add to this soup, what do you think???
Happy Mom's Day, its almost over....I was glad to spend part of the day with my precious mom.

Cheers and BFN, G :)

Anonymous said...

i like leeks. they like me.
you told me about leeks. and i now i use them. yay horay yay!

-boyfwiend