I have never eaten a leek before today. And, well, all I can say is… THEY ARE AMAZING. I love onions, so a big.. stalky onion would of course be tasty to me! Fun fact: The leek was somewhat considered a royal food in Rome. Since their emperor, Nero drank a quarter of leek soup each day. He believed it would enhance his singing voice. The Romans introduced it to other lands, but something special happened in Wales. It became it’s national symbol because while the war against the Saxons they had no way to identify each other so they placed a leek on their helmets.  March 1, St David’s Day, the Welsh pin a leek on their hats to remember their efforts and glory.

I know, I’m a bank of useless knowledge. Anyway, It was fun to shop for veggies today. I also bought shallots. Why? I have never eaten a shallot and I am trying to eat dangerously. Shallots aren’t thaaaaat dangerous. But hey, it’s new. Here is the recipe for my take on baked creamy leeks.

you will need:

2-3 leeks
1 shallot
half a red onion
2 tablespoons of dried thyme
2 cloves of garlic, diced
butter
oilve oil
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of shredded cheese

for starters, you will want to take your leeks and peel off the really nasty leaves on the outside. but not all! trim up the ends and chop roughly. place in a colander and give a really nice wash. these little friends are very dirty and sandy. they should resemble the next picture.

mm mm. Next place some butter and oil in a large frying pan/wok. add the garlic and thyme. as soon as the garlic has some colour, add the shallots, onions and leeks. cook on high for about 10 minutes or until the leeks are tender.

kill the heat and add the 1 cup of heavy cream and half of the shredded cheese. give it a good stir, season with s+p, and place in a bake safe dish. sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the dish and place in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

It tastes like a dream! A perfect introduction to leeks, in my opinion. My dad tried to teach me to make this awesome dirty rice recipe he threw together the other day. needless to say… I made it look like this:

Igloo! It was tasty nonetheless. Onions, oregano, garlic, beans, ground round, and rice. mmmm. too good!

Anyway, I have to sleep. More work tomorrow, no rest for the wicked. I still have to make that broccoli and quinoa… I need some pesto though. Hm.

goodnight!