This Week’s Veg: Leek
This week is very special for us as we are about to release our web application. We are very excited about it but also very busy trying to spot and correct the last bugs. However we keep cooking new recipes to share with you! This week, we have chosen leeks, another winter vegetable as we need to be a bit more patient to enjoy spring crops.
About Leeks
Leeks belong to the same family as the onions and garlic, the Alliaceae family.
They produce a long cylinder of bundled leaf sheaths, generally blanched by putting soil around them.
When raw, leeks are crunchy and firm, with a mild onion taste.
Leek also is the national emblem of Wales. According to the legend, a Welsh king ordered his soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field.
Cultivation & production
Leeks are easy to grow from seed and tolerate standing in the field for an extended harvest. They usually reach maturity in the autumn months and can be left in the ground during winter to be harvested as needed.
Nutritional value & health benefits
Leeks contain few calories and are rich in dietary fiber.
Cooked leeks and the water they’ve been boiled into are also laxative and diuretic.
How to select & store
The leek’s base should be firm, straight, thick and white. The leaves should be deep green, neither withered nor yellowed.
You can keep them whole in the fridge for 10 days. When washed and cut, you can keep them in punched plastic bags in the fridge for 5 or 6 days.
How to enjoy
The edible portions of the leeks are the white base and the light green stalk.
It can be boiled, stir-fried or even prepared raw in salads (when young and tender).
Recipe ideas
- Leek, butter beans & chorizo gratin
- Leek & scallops creamy pasta
- Leek & sausage pie
- Leek & potato soup
- Leek & chicken pie
- Leek & mushroom quiche
- Leek & salmon quiche
- Smoked haddock & leek risotto
(c) photo by David Wilmot via Flickr
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