RECIPE: Carrot Top Soup

INGREDIENTS - 6 small to medium carrots with tops and roots - 2 tablespoons butter - 3 tablespoons white rice - 2 large leeks, white parts only - 2 thyme or lemon thyme sprigs - 2 tablespoons chopped dill, parsley, or celery leaves - salt and freshly ground pepper - 6 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water

PREPARATION Pull or pluck the lacy leaves of the carrot greens off their stems. You should have between 2-3 cups, loosely packed. Wash, then chop finely. Grate the carrots or, if you want a more refined-looking soup, finely chop them. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the carrot tops and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and dill. Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until the rice is cooked, 16-18 minutes. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and serve.

RECIPE: Spaghetti Squash with Onion, Garlic, and Parmesan Cheese

INGREDIENTS1 spaghetti squash
2–3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion or leeks, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley or basil, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 375 °F.
• Pierce squash a few times with a fork or sharp paring knife (to let steam escape).
• Bake for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife easily pierces skin with little resistance
• Let squash cool for 10 minutes.
• Cut squash in half, lengthwise.
• Using a large spoon, remove and discard the seeds and pulp.
• Use a fork to scrape the squash into long strands, like spaghetti.
• Heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add garlic and onion, and cook for 3–5 minutes until soft.
• Add parsley and salt, and stir in spaghetti squash strands.
• Toss well, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and add more salt to taste.
• Serve warm. (Squash should be al dente—with a slight crunch).

 Serves 4. Prep time, 15 minutes; cook time, 1 hour.

RECIPE: Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 8 medium bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 large leeks, white and palest green parts only, chopped and well rinsed
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups cooked corn kernels
• 4 cups diced zucchini
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more, to taste
• Crumbled sweet Italian sausage (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the peppers in half; remove the seeds. 
3. Arrange peppers in glass pyrex casserole dishes.
4. Heat the oil with two tablespoons of water in a large skillet. Add the leeks and garlic. Sauté over medium heat, covered, lifting the lid to stir occasionally, until the leeks are tender.
5. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the parmesan cheese. Cook, stirring, another 5 minutes.
6. Distribute the stuffing among the peppers. Top each with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
7. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered.until the peppers are tender but not collapsed. Keep warm until ready to serve.

RECIPE: CARROT TOP SOUP

YIELD: 4 bowls

ACTIVE TIME: 15

TOTAL TIME: 25

INGREDIENTS

·       6 small to medium carrots with tops and roots

·       2 tablespoons butter

·       3 tablespoons white rice

·       2 large leeks, white parts only

·       2 thyme or lemon thyme sprigs

·       2 tablespoons chopped dill, parsley, or celery leaves

·       salt and freshly ground pepper

·       6 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water

PREPARATION

Pull or pluck the lacy leaves of the carrot greens off their stems. You should have between 2-3 cups, loosely packed. Wash, then chop finely. Grate the carrots or, if you want a more refined-looking soup, finely chop them. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the carrot tops and carrots, rice, leeks, thyme, and dill. Cook for several minutes, turning everything a few times, then season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until the rice is cooked, 16-18 minutes. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and serve.

TIPS: Leeks

Leeks, like garlic and onions, belong to a vegetable family called the Allium vegetables. Since leeks are related to garlic and onions, they contain many of the same beneficial compounds found in these well-researched, health-promoting vegetables.

Tips for Preparing and Cleaning Leeks:

Leeks can be quite sandy, so careful washing is important. Here’s how to properly clean a whole leek.

• Start by removing the outer layer of white (unless it is very fresh or from your own garden).
• Trim the base with a sharp paring knife to remove all the roots.
• Make an incision in the middle of the white stalk and cut toward the green tips, severing the leek in two, but with the bottom still intact.
• Wash well under cold running water, pulling the leaves apart to rinse well between them.
• Drain, green tips down, in a colander for a few minutes.

If the recipe calls for chopped leeks, it is best to chop them and then wash under cold running water. Allow to drain well before using.

Storage:

Store leeks in a plastic bag or crisper drawer in fridge; do not wash until you are ready to use them. Or chop to desired cooking size and freeze.  Being a cold weather vegetable, leeks prefer the coldest part of the refrigerator, which is usually the bottom crisper drawer.  Properly stored, leeks can last about a month!

 A Few Quick Serving Ideas: 

• Healthy sauté leeks and fennel. Garnish with fresh lemon juice and thyme.
• Add finely chopped leeks to salads.
• Make vichyssoise, a cold soup made from puréed cooked leeks and potatoes.
• Add leeks to broth and stews for extra flavoring.
• Braised leeks sprinkled with fennel or mustard seeds make a wonderful side dish for fish, poultry or steak.
• Add sliced leeks to your favorite omelet or frittata recipe.

RECIPE: Garlic Family Soup

Difficulty Level: Moderate

6 leeks

sea salt
3 quarts water
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced in half, then sliced thinly lengthwise into half moons
6 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and halved lengthwise
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Bouquet garni: several sprigs of fresh parsley, tarragon, some bay leaves and celery leaves, wrapped in a leek green and tied with twine
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
fresh minced parsley for garnish

Trim and rinse the leeks, cutting off the dark green leaves and separating from the white and pale green parts.  Chop whites and pale greens.

Place dark green leek leaves in a large stockpot, cover with water and pinch of salt.  Bring to boil over high heat.  Cover, lower heat to medium, simmer 15 minutes. 

In heavy bottomed stockpot, combine chopped leeks, onions, shallots, garlic, olive oil, bouquet garni, and salt.  Sweat over medium heat, covered, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. 

Strain leek broth and pour over vegetables.  Add potatoes.  Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook 1 hour.  Remove and discard bouquet garni.  Blend soup, either in a blender or in the pot using an immersion blender.  Garnish with parsley and serve.

RECIPE: Easiest Leek Soup Ever

Ingredients:

1 bunch leeks, chopped (white and light green parts only)
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
Vegetable broth

Sauté all ingredients in olive oil until soft.  Remove from heat.  Add vegetable broth and purée. Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

RECIPE: Acorn Squash with Kale and Sausage

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:

·        2 medium acorn squash, halved down the middle, seeds removed

·        1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

·        1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·        Olive oil cooking spray

·        3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

·        8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

·        1 large leek, white and light green parts only, halved and sliced

·        2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

·        4 cups tightly packed torn kale

·        1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

·        1/4 cup chopped walnuts

·        2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan

·        2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

 
Heat oven to 375°. Cut a thin slice off round side of each squash half to create a stable base. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Place squash flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; bake until golden and tender, 30 minutes. Remove from oven; flip squash and set aside.

Heat broiler. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add sausage; cook, breaking into coarse pieces, until brown, 6 minutes; transfer to a bowl. To same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and leek; cook until leek is soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, 30 seconds. Add kale and toss; add broth. Cover and cook until kale is tender, 5 minutes; stir in sausage. Divide kale-sausage filling among squash.

In a bowl, combine walnuts, Parmesan and panko; sprinkle evenly over squash bowls and coat with cooking spray. Broil until panko is golden, 2 minutes.

RECIPE: Roasted Squash and Apple Chowder with Potatoes

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Serves 8

Puréed roasted butternut squash provides the creamy base for a hearty chowder. If making the chowder ahead, prepare the recipe through step 3, then assemble and reheat just before serving.

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks (6 cups), divided

3 medium apples, peeled and diced (3 cups), divided
2 large leeks, white parts cut into 1-inch chunks (1 cup), plus ½ cup thinly sliced leek greens, divided
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 lb. multicolored potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks
½ cup apple juice
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Combine 5 cups butternut squash chunks, 2 cups diced apple, leek whites, oil, and maple syrup in large bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread squash mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet, and roast 30 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Cook potato chunks and remaining 1 cup butternut squash in boiling, salted water 5 to 7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

4. Purée roasted vegetables in blender until smooth. Add purée and apple juice to large soup pot with 4 cups water. Whisk in vinegar, and heat over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add boiled potatoes and squash, remaining 1 cup diced apple, and leek greens, and simmer 5 minutes, or until hot.

RECIPE: Roasted Chicken with Leeks and Scallions

Difficulty Level: Easy

-1 whole chicken

-2 TB each Chinese 5 spice and garlic powder

-1 TB salt

-all the greens and scraps from the leeks and scallions -- all those end parts you don't really want to eat or cook and get stuck in the refrigerator door

 

-corn or potatoes

Wash the chicken and rub the seasonings into the chicken itself (underneath the skin but leaving the skin intact), and then stuff all the scallion/leek ends into the cavity of the chicken and under its skin, tenting the skin out around the breasts and back.  

Roast at 400F over the 2 ears of corn, or you could use the potatoes to keep the chicken off the pan and to impart great flavor to the veggies.   

Roast however long you normally do/depending on the size of the chicken.

 

Submitted by Adrienne Mishkin

RECIPE: Cauliflower-Leek Kugel with Almond-Herb Crust

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 8 cups cauliflower florets (from 2 medium heads of cauliflower)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 cups coarsely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts; from 3 large)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted matzo meal
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup almonds, toasted, chopped

Preparation

Cook cauliflower in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; transfer to large bowl and mash coarsely with potato masher.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and sauté until tender and just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add leek mixture to cauliflower. Mix in matzo meal. Beat eggs, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon dill, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend; stir into cauliflower mixture.

Brush 11x7-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread cauliflower mixture evenly in prepared dish. Mix almonds, remaining 7 tablespoons parsley, 7 tablespoons dill, and 2 tablespoons oil in medium bowl to blend. Sprinkle evenly over kugel. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake kugel uncovered until set in center and beginning to brown on top, about 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

RECIPE: Baked Leek and Sweet Potato Gratin

Serves 8

Sautéed leeks add a milder, sweeter flavor than onions to this hearty sweet potato dish that can be served with a salad as a light main course.

• 3 medium leeks, white and light green parts chopped (6 cups)
• 1 ½ Tbs. olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary, divided
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (2 lb.), peeled and cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices
• ⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 Tbs. Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbs. finely grated Romano cheese, optional

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat 10-inch round pan with cooking spray.

2. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, garlic, and 1 1/2 Tbs. rosemary; sauté 8 minutes, or until softened. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Arrange one-third sweet potato slices over bottom of prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Spread half of leek mixture on top. Arrange another one-third sweet potato slices over leeks; top with remaining leeks, followed by remaining sweet potatoes. Drizzle broth over dish. Cover pan with foil, and bake 35 minutes.

4. Stir together breadcrumbs, remaining 1 1/2 tsp. oil, remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. rosemary, and Romano cheese, if desired, in small bowl. Remove foil from gratin, and sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are browned and crisp. Let gratin cool slightly before cutting into 8 wedges and serving.

RECIPE: Vegetable Stock Recipe

Making vegetable stock is quick compared with making stock from poultry or beef bones, but it's no less flavorful. Vegetable stock only needs to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes to extract the maximum flavor from vegetables. In fact, quality can actually start to diminish beyond a certain point if the vegetables are simmered for too long.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

·                        1 gallon cold water

·                        1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

·                        1 medium leek (white and green parts), rinsed and chopped

·                        1 medium rib celery, chopped

·                        1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

·                        ½ medium turnip, chopped

·                        3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

·                        2 Tbsp vegetable oil

·                        -------- For Sachet: (see note) --------

·                        1 bay leaf

·                        ½ tsp dried thyme

·                        3-4 fresh parsley stems

·                        3-4 whole black peppercorns

·                        1 whole clove

Preparation:

1.              Make a sachet d'epices by tying the thyme, peppercorns, clove, parsley stems and bay leaf into a piece of cheesecloth.

2.              In a heavy-bottomed stock pot or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.

3.              Lower the heat, add all the vegetables and sweat, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are softened and slightly translucent. Don't brown the vegetables, though.

4.              Add the water and the sachet, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

5.              Strain, cool and refrigerate.

Makes 1 gallon of stock.

RECIPE: What to do with Homemade Bread Crumbs

[a tip from Ann] 

Everytime you have some leftover good bread, slice and lightly toast the leftovers in your toaster, oven or toaster oven. Real cooks recommend removing the crusts; I don't bother. (Honestly, I don't even toast it first. I just grind up the old bread.)

Pulse in food processor until the bread becomes crumbs. I store them in a ziploc bag in my freezer. These have many uses: you can saute them in a pan with a little oil and add any seasonings of your choice such as garlic, herbs, or a bit of grated cheese. Use them to top roasted vegetables (broccoli, asparagus), sauteed greens in garlic, gratins, or pasta dishes (especially good when made with garlic and parmesan and used to top pasta with pesto). You can also use them for coating meat or fish for sauteing or frying.

Being a midwestern cheapskate I had stored up bags of these in the freezer and they were driving my husband crazy. Once we knew we were moving this summer I started trying to use everything up and started putting bread crumbs on everything and now we are out! They taste great and the little bit of crunchy texture is a great complement to so many dishes.

RECIPE: Leek and Delicata Squash Soup

2½ lb. Delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
2½ Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large leeks, white and tender green parts, chopped
½ tsp. dried thyme
2½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
Sour cream, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and gently scrape or cut the flesh away from the skin. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the leeks and thyme and stir occasionally until soft and brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the stock and the squash and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Using a blender (note, an immersion hand blender probably cannot handle the leeks), purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth. (Alternately, purée the soup in batches in a standard blender or food processor.)

Season with the salt and pepper. Ladle hot soup into individual bowls, then top with sour cream.

RECIPE: Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 leeks, sliced
1/2 cup heavy cream (or 1% milk)
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)

Directions
In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring potatoes and chicken broth to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of grease and set aside.

Saute the leeks in the frying pan with the reserved bacon grease 8 to 10 minutes.
When the potatoes are tender, stir in the fried leeks, heavy cream and bacon. Stir to blend and remove from heat. Serve hot.

RECIPE: Quick Baked Leeks

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4c flour
1 1/2c skim milk
1/2c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 medium leeks, halved lengthwise

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9x12 in baking pan
2. Melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour until smooth.
3. Gradually stir in milk and cheese until cheese is melted. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
4. Arrange the leeks in a single layer in the pan and cover with cheese sauce.
5. Bake for 30 min in oven until leeks are tender and sauce is bubbly.

RECIPE: Sesame Soba Noodles with Kale

1 package soba or udon noodles

For the sauce:

1 clove garlic
1/2 c tahini
3 tbsp tamari
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 c twig tea

For the kale:

2 tbsp sesame oil
1 bunch kale or Swiss chard, chopped and rinsed
1/2 c leek, cut into half moon slices, rinsed

Cook the pasta in 2 quarts of boiling water for 8 minutes. Check for tenderness, drain set aside and pour a splash of sesame oil over to keep from sticking.

In a blender combine all the sauce ingredients. If the sauce is too thick add more tea. Blend until smooth.

In the same pot that you cooked the noodles heat the sesame oil and add the leek. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add kale and cover the pot. Let steam 3 minutes and uncover the pot. Turn off the flame and stir to combine.

To assemble: add noodles to a bowl, add kale then top with sauce, enjoy with chopsticks!

RECIPE: Orzo with Lemony Leek Sauce

This pasta dish takes tender leeks out of the soup pot to use as a light pasta sauce. Because leeks can be gritty, slice them vertically before chopping so that you can rinse between layers.

Ingredient List
Serves 6
• 6 medium leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. parsley
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 16 oz. orzo pasta
• 1/2 lb. asparagus, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add leeks, and cook 10 minutes, or until tender.
2. Drain, and purée in blender with lemon juice, parsley and oil. Set aside.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add asparagus to pasta water during last 2 minutes of cooking.
4. Drain pasta and asparagus, and transfer to large bowl. Top with leek sauce and cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

RECIPE: Root Vegetable and Cheddar Gratin

From Gorgeous Vegetables

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. carrots, trimmed, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 lb. parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 lb. leeks (trimmed weight), thinly sliced

1 cup vegetable stock

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, diced

Sea salt, black pepper

1 ½ tsp. superfine sugar

4 medium eggs

¾ cup grated mature Cheddar

¾ cup fresh white breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. Peanut or vegetable oil

6 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Procedure:

1. Place the carrots, parsnips, and leeks in a large saucepan with the stock, butter, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and sugar and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nearly all the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are sitting in a buttery emulsion. Leave to cool for a few minutes.

2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl with some seasoning, then stir in two-thirds of the cheese.

3. Toss the breadcrumbs in another bowl with the oil, then mix in the rest of the cheese.

4. Add the vegetables to the bowl with the egg and cheese mixture, scatter the parsley over, and stir to combine everything. Tip the mixture into a 12-inch oval gratin dish or other shallow ovenproof dish of a similar size. Smooth the surface and scatter the breadcrumb mixture on top.

5. Preheat the oven to 425oF.

6. Place the gratin dish in a roasting dish with boiling water coming two-thirds of the way up the sides, and bake for 30-35 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and crusty. Serve immediately.

NOTE: To make ahead, complete through step 4, cover, and chill. Hold

off adding breadcrumbs until it’s time to bake.

Submitted by Lisa Bretherick