The FastDay Forum

I live in the US. Leeks are not a big deal here. I grew a few last year and they turned out well.I planted more thhis year and now I have to harvest them before they freeze. The web says they last a week.

What are your favorite uses of them?

Well first of all, if you store them properly, they will last for many weeks in your fridge, not just one. Secondly, you can easily freeze them. Just cut and store in ziplocks. And last, you can use them anywhere you'd otherwise use an onion. Stir-fries, bolognese, sauces, gravies etc...

Do you get the small squashes? We get a small green striped one here. There is a River cottage recipe I love....... Cut top off squash and scoop out seeds. Sweat the chopped leeks in olive oil, mix in grated gruyere cheese and use to stuff the cavity of the squash. Put the 'hat' back on and bake in oven until flesh is soft. Yum! Works well with bacon bits (lardons) added to the mix. One squash per person is enough. I serve this with a basket of French bread.

[carieoates]

Soup was my first thought. I do however shred them with cabbage and steam. I have also used them as a lasagna sheet substitute, you have to have a less wet meat layer as they don't soak up the liquid like the pasta.

Leek gratin with low calorie cheese?

Depending on how hard your winters are they may last through. I live in SE England and I am usually still digging and using ours through to the spring. It might be worth leaving one in the ground if you have the space as a test. Otherwise slice and open freeze before bagging them up in the freezer as Tara said.

Thanks for the great info. We are in USDA zone 4 (-31.7 to -28.9 C) and my garden is in a spot where it would be hard to cover with straw. I would love to be able to leave some in the ground. I keep thinking now that I'm retired I need to look into making some sort of root cellar.

I'm glad to hear they can be frozen. I never would have thought it.

We grew pie pumpkins too and several are small enough to try your recipe @Bobshouse. Do you cook the bacon first or put it in raw?

As a substitute for pasta - great idea! I'm trying to reduce my pasta intake.

Good thing my fast day was yesterday!

Mussels and Leek Chowder. Leeks/bacon/butter/mussels(without shells)/wine or vermouth/potatoes/cream/ bayleaves/thyme/parsley. Also works with shrimp.

Any slow cooked meat, eg braised lamb shanks, or stewing beef with beans of choice, bay, leeks, garlic, thyme, parsley and mint.

A tart or a quiche? eg with potatoes and cheese.

Bubble and squeak but made with leeks instead of onion.

I love leeks! They are nice chopped and cooked in a saucepan with some butter as a side with a roast. Also a BLT risotto and that is bacon leeks and tomato! Both for feed days. They are nice in casseroles too

Great tip about freezing them too. I'd never thought of that either.

I sweat leeks, bacon, a garlic clove and some mushrooms together in a large frying pan, cook some pasta, stir it all together and mix with a dollop of either plain or greek yogurt, or creme fraiche or herby soft cheese. Any of those 'sauce' options can be low-fat, of course. Season with salt, pepper and maybe a bit of parsley or parmesan cheese. Nice easy dish, classic combination of flavours, and you don't need to be too strict about quantities.

EDIT: the bacon, of course, could be omitted too if you prefer a veggie dish. Maybe some nice mixed mushrooms in that case.

I chop and freeze leeks too, they keep very well.

I just made a yummy leek quiche. Bake the pastry case blind; scatter feta cheese over; add leeks, sweated in butter; pour over eggs and cream; bake half an hour. Serve with a green
salad. Perfect! These were Spring leeks, grown over the winter, but no snow here.

I've had a leek glut this weekend. I just washed them and diced them finely then froze them in small portions - handy for adding to soups or stews. Or any of the above ideas!

[Tracieknits]

I love leeks in quiche! I also add them to soups, and really love leek and cauliflower or leek and potato soup.

Definitely freeze them, but there's no way you can leave them outside in Minnesota - they do have to come in. I would wash and slice them, then freeze them on cookie sheets overnight, then once they're solid, put them in ziploc bags so they take up less space

I use leeks instead of onions as they have a milder taste. I also finely slice them and use them as 'onion rings' sprinkled over a salad instead of spring onions (scallions).
One of my husband's favourite meals is leeks and potatoes cut into inch size pieces and cooked until they are fairly soft, then mix with a cheese sauce and put in a hot oven to brown. Tastes much better than it sounds.

They survive in my garden through the winter but some varieties are more hardy than others. I've found that leek varieties which mature in the early autumn sometimes get soft and slimy when we have a hard frost. I'm not sure about the different zones, here in England we just have cold north and mild south, when you buy your seeds try to stick to the later varieties, they should have the growing information on the packet.

Good luck JM53, leeks are one of my favourite vegetables, when you have tried all of the recipes and tastes recommended here you will love them too.