Spring in Boston has been spectacular, and winter faded into a distant memory. Even the leeks forgot the 80+ inches, standing tall in the garden as if nary a flake of snow covered their leaves.
(I think the state flower of Massachusetts should be the "Bleeding Heart" in honor of all the liberals.)
Just as I harvested last fall’s leeks, I also cut my first salad of the season.
And to bring it full circle, I served them with smoked tomatoes from last summers’ harvest. How neat to have a completely fresh ingredients with 3 seasons on one plate and in harmony!
Leek and Goat Cheese Tart with Smoked Tomato Coulis This is a great dish as an appetizer, or served with pork or chicken for a main meal.
pie dough 3 slices bacon 4 leeks, cut into rounds and washed 1/2 tsp. curry powder 4 oz. goat cheese 1 cup half -n- half (or milk) 3 eggs 4 smoked tomatoes 1/2 cup chicken broth salt and pepper to taste
1. Roll out pie dough and form into pie tins, or 1 8” pan. Blind bake for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over a medium flame, render the bacon with the leeks. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the leeks are soft. Drain off any excess fat. Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Dot the goat cheese in the bottom of the pie tarts. Evenly divide 1 smoked tomato and the leeks among the tarts.
4. Mix eggs and half -n- half. Season with salt and pepper. Add enough custard to fill tarts.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 for small tarts, or 40 minutes for a large one.
6. Puree remaining smoked tomatoes with chicken broth. Warm gently on the stove top. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add a touch of cream, just before serving, if you’d like.
Just in the nick of time, I harvested the lettuces and leeks. Hours later, the first real snow of the season fell. Though it didn’t amount to more than an inch, it was enough to bury the leeks and lettuces.
Branching out of my usual side dish of leeks softened in butter, I decided to braise them in chicken stock and white wine. I continued in the French theme by dressing them with a mustard vinaigrette. And of course, bowing to the bacon gods, I sprinkled a few bacon bits on top.
A simple, yet elegant first course.
Because leeks trap lots of dirt inside its layers, it's important to cut them open to wash. In order to maintain the integrity of the shape, though, leave the root attached to that it will hold together the layers.
Braised Leeks 1 tbs. butter 4 leeks, cut in half and washed. 1 sprig thyme 1/4 cup white whine 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth 2 slices bacon, diced 1 cup arugula mustard vinaigrette salt and black pepper
1. Melt butter in a skillet, add the leeks in a single layer, cut side down. Brown a little before adding a sprig of thyme and the wine. Let the wine reduce and then add the stock, salt and pepper to taste. 2. Put leeks in a 350F oven for 20 minute to braise, or until softened. Set aside. 3. Put the diced bacon in a pan in the oven to render the fat and get crispy. Drain the bacon on a paper towel. 4. To serve, dress the arugula in mustard vinaigrette and put on plate. Lay the leeks on the plate and sprinkle bacon bits on top.
Mustard Vinaigrette 1 tsp. whole grain mustard 2 tsp. red wine vinegar 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste
When I began gardening, I tried starting tomatoes, basil and peppers indoors in early March with hopes of transplanting them outside as soon as the soil warmed up. I know that starting plants from seeds is far more economical than buying seedlings. I get more options in what varieties I want to grow. And I have less concern about an unsuspecting blight. Unfortunately, I’ve never succeeded in getting a single plant into the ground that was started indoors.
I’m not sure what my problem is…. Did they not get enough sun or too much? Did they get enough fertilizer? Or too much? Some years they did get enough water. I’ve given up.
So I only plant vegetables that can be direct-sowed or purchased as seedlings ready to transplant. This year, that included leeks – a surprise find at a random nursery.
I was a little suspect of the plant – dozens of threads shot out of the 2” pot. Given my propensity to sow seeds too densely, I sensed this would be a problem. When I got home, I tried to tease apart the seedlings, but the root structure was already a tangled mess. I managed to gently pull apart enough to plant 3 rows. The seedlings drooped and flopped, and were still too close together. I propped them up with mounds of soil and gave them plenty of water.
By some miracle, they survived. Still too densely planted, the leeks didn’t grow as large as they should. As I harvest, I try to cut out the larger ones without disturbing the smaller one – hoping to give them a little more room to grow. So far, I’ve cut out over a dozen leeks, and the remaining still look strong.
Try as I might to get out of my rut of simply cooking leeks in butter, I just can’t do it. They are too delicious. I changed it up a little the other night by using them as a base for potato crusted black bass with a red wine reduction. It’s a riff on a recipe from Daniel Boulud.
Potato Crusted Black Bass with Leeks and Red Wine 2 russet potatoes 5 leeks 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 4 black bass filets ¼ cup plain oil 1 ½ cups red wine 1 cup rich chicken stock. ¼ cup heavy cream
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
1. Shred potatoes. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to remove excess starch. This will also prevent the potatoes from turning black. 2. Trim the leeks: cut off the dark green and set aside for another use. Cut the leek in half lengthwise, then into 1/2” slices. Soak in cold water to remove the dirt. Lift the leeks out of the water 3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and the leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally until the leeks are soft. Set aside. 4. Drain potatoes from the water. Season with salt and pepper and toss in flour. 5. On a clean work surface, lay out some potato in a thin layer. Place the fish on top, season with salt and pepper. Wrap the potato shreds around the fish. Repeat with remaining fish and potatoes. 6. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil. Gently place the fish in the oil, and cook until potato is golden brown and crispy. Gently flip the fish over, and cook for 2 minutes more. 7. Remove fish from pan and set aside. Working quickly to hold onto the heat in the pan, drain off all the excess oil. Add a spoonful of the leeks (and a few mushrooms if you happen to have a few wilting in the fridge like I did). Add the wine and chicken stock and reduce by half over high heat. 8. Stir in the cream into the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice 9. Put a mound of leeks on the bottom of each plate. Lay the fish on top. Spoon sauce around the fish.
