This year our allotment grown leeks on plot 10b have done fantastically well. We have never before been harvesting our leeks before Christmas and they are huge too! We also have more of them growing on plot 8, we should be pulling those up in the new year. I don't know why they have done so well, maybe an earlier sowing, better soil now we have a new allotment, a good source of manure, but whatever the reasons, we are really enjoying our leeks.
Leeks are one of my favourite vegetables, there are so many ways to cook and enjoy them. Sliced thinly and stir fried they go well with fish or chicken dishes. Leeks are also a good addition to vegetable soups, leek and potato soup is especially great at this time of year.
One of my favourite leek recipes is leeks and bacon in a cheese sauce:
Fry some streaky bacon pieces until crisp, then cut the leeks into chunks and fry gently until softened. Put the leeks and bacon in an ovenproof dish, add cheese sauce and top with grated cheese. Cook in the oven at gas mark 7/425F/220C until the cheese topping is bubbling and golden.
This week I made a cheese and leek flan using an old Cranks recipe. If you're as old as me you may remember the Cranks vegetarian restaurants. I have a couple of their recipe books.
Leek and cheese flan
Serves 4--6
10oz/300gr wholemeal shortcrust pastry
2 large leeks
1oz /25gr butter
large pinch cayenne
large pinch ground nutmeg
3 eggs
3floz/75ml milk
3floz/75ml soured cream
large pinch salt
6oz/175gr cheddar cheese
Line a 9"/23cm flan tin with the pastry.
Clean and thinly slice the leeks.
Saute the leeks in melted butter until tender. Season with cayenne and nutmeg. Leave to cool.
Whisk the eggs, milk, soured cream and salt together.
Sprinkle half the cheese over the base of the flan.
Spread the leeks on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Pour the egg custard over the flan.
Bake in the oven at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for about 30 to 40 minutes until risen and golden.
Wholemeal pastry may not be to everyone's taste, it is a bit heavy, but I'm sure that this recipe works just as well with normal shortcrust pastry.
I used normal double cream and Lancashire cheese because that's all I had.
Do you have any good recipes for using leeks?
