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I don?t think that I had ever eaten leeks until the early 1970?s when I was staying in London with a close friend of mine, Phillip Sansom. I n addition to his being a talented artist and writer, Phillip was also a good cook. I remember coming back to the house one evening when Phillip was involved in putting together our dinner, braised leeks. He told me that leeks were members of the onion family, but their taste was quite different. When we sat down for dinner, I was taken by the great taste of the leeks. He also told me that leeks were the national emblem of Wales. I later learned that leeks, like onions, garlic and shallots were in fact part of the lily family.

You can find leeks wither in the supermarkets you shop at or sometimes in the Saturday Farmers? Market. If you buy leeks, look for the bunches that have the most white stems. Also, when you prepare the leeks, wash them thoroughly and trim off any of the little roots that may form at the bottom of the bulsbs. Here are a couple of recipes for including leeks in your diet.

[tag]Leeks with Lemon Butter[/tag]

1 Bunch Leeks
Enough broth (chicken or vegetable) to cover leeks
3 TBSP butter
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 dash Tobasco sauce

The Method
After cleaning and trimming the leeks, cook the leeks in the broth until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Drain and place on a serving platter. Melt the butter, melt the lemon juice and Tobasco. Pour the mix over the leeks, add a bit of salt & pepper, and place on the table as a great side dish.

Here?s a great soup to start your meal with:

[tag]Welch Leek Soup[/tag]

4 large leeks (cleaned)
4 medium potatoes
6 cups chicken or veggie stock
1 medium onion
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
2 egg yolks
salt & pepper to your taste

The Method

Cut the leeks into small, 3/4 inch, pieces. (whites & greens)
Dice the potatoes. (When I first made this soup, I used to peel the potatoes, but I no longer do so after I found out that most of the healthy vitamins we need are found in the peel.) Put the potatoes into the stock and cook until the get tender. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion. Saute the leeks and onion in butter until soft and tender. Blend in the flour and continue to cook while stirring and blending for a few minutes. Add this mix with some salt and pepper to the potatoes and stock. Allow it to cook together for 5 minutes. Then dish it out and…

Enjoy!!

P.S. When I first made this soup, I wasn?t the garlic freak that I am today, so today when I make this soup I also include about 4 cloves of chopped garlic.

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