I am very proud to present a blog post with a recipe! I don't think I've done one since well before Jaynie arrived...
Spring is finally here, and that meant a family trip to the farmer's market Sunday morning. Scott and I fit right in now with the droves of strollers (in fact, that is where we did most of our stroller "shopping"). I LOVE the farmer's market when the seasons are changing...you find the last of the citrus and winter greens, and begin to see the first crop of spring asparagus, green garlic, and peas. What caught our eye this trip was the leeks. Oh my leeks! These suckers were HUGE.
Being the thrifty girl on a budget, I had to make this $2 bundle of leeks into a few different meals.
Meal #1: Leek Salad with Walnuts and Manchego (served with leftover grilled NY strip steak)
Meal #2: Leek, Spring Onion, and Shrimp Linguine
Meal #3: Vegetable Stock (ok, not really a meal, but it counts as a third usage of the leeks...add some meat and veggies and it becomes a meal!).
Here's the salad recipe, adapted from Food & Wine, April 2009 (I've been saving this recipe for 2 years before I got around to trying it out...and it's a keeper)
4 servings
4 medium leeks (or 2 GIANT ones), trimmed (cut off the tough green top), and halved lengthwise*
1 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt & freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 oz Manchego cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Preheat the oven to 350. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the leek halves and simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the leeks and pat dry.
Spread the walnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool and coarsely chop.
In a small bowl whisk the red wine vinegar with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the leeks on a platter or individual salad plates, cut sides up. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and garnish with the walnuts, parsley and cheese. Enjoy =)
*Make sure you rinse the leeks really well, they like to harbor gritty sand and dirt in their layers.
6 comments:
OMG, this picture should absolutely be made into a gift card like that artist....you know the one who has all the cute babies in it??? Anyway....cutest picture ever!! My how Jaynie is growing but next to the leeks she looks tiny!
those leeks are huge! but... that picture! what a cutie! what a keeper! I hope you frame that one and put it in the kitchen.
Gotta laugh, alex has the same bumbo, we have a photo of him framed in it on the wall, he thinks he's sitting on a blue potty. i laugh every time he tells me.
anyway, way to use those leeks! i'm wanting to try that leek salad recipe.
that photo is perfect for a mccarthy baby! i love it! it's like a family portrait of sorts. not that you and scott are leeks. it's like visual metonomy. can i use the names of literary devices as a metaphor in describing the visual arts? where is sarah mac when i need help?
she's getting so big! and so cute! and those leeks are huge... i didn't even know they could be that big!
oh no! I haven't see Jaynie in over a week and look how she's grown!
we love leeks and this looks wonderful! thanks for the recipe!
~mom
Is this some kind of photo shop? Those leeks can't be for real!
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