Puff Pastry - Either store bought or homemade. Here's a good recipe.
2 T Olive Oil
3 Leeks, sliced thin
4 t mixed, fresh herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, your choice)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3 Tomatoes, sliced
4 Cloves garlic
1/2 c Parmesan Cheese
Rinse a baking sheet and let the excess water drain off. Do not dry.
Roll the pastry into a 16x12 inch rectangle, 1/4" thick. Place the dough onto the wetted baking sheet.
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat. add the leeks, herbs, salt and pepper and cook until softened and starting to turn golden. 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for one more minute then remove from the heat.
Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the pastry. Place the leeks over the cheese and then top with the sliced tomatoes, overlapping slightly. Turn the corners and edges of the pastry over the filling. Brush the entire dish with olive oil. Bake until the pastry is golden and crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with extra cheese and herbs if desired.
Potato Leek Soup
Adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
2-3 leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: red pepper, chopped
1 cup crème fraiche
Saute leeks until soft in the butter and olive oil. Add potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. If you want to add peppers, add them as well. Let soup simmer until all vegetables are soft. Puree soup if desired. Add a dollop of cream and enjoy!
Potato, Green Cabbage and Leek Soup
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cups diced green cabbage (1/2-inch dice; from about 1/2 medium head)
- 3 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; 3 to 4 large)
- 3 large garlic cloves, pressed
- 3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
- 1 2x2-inch piece Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
- 1 Turkish bay leaf
- 6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (for garnish)
Whisk crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Cover and chill. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage; sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sauté until cabbage is almost tender but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup cabbage to small bowl and reserve for garnish.
Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot with cabbage; add leeks and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until leeks soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in potatoes, Parmesan rind, if desired, and bay leaf. Add 6 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard Parmesan rind, if using, and bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer until heated through, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with some of reserved sautéed cabbage. Drizzle crème fraîche mixture over soup; sprinkle with chives and serve.
Leek Quiche
Crust: 2C flour, 2/3 cups butter, give or take 1/2 cup ice water
4T butter or oil
6 cups thinly sliced leeks
salt and pepper
1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs
6 eggs at room temp
2 cups cream, half-and-half, or milk, heated just until warm
steps
1. preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake the chilled crust for 10-12
minutes. Reduce the temp to 325 degrees.
2. Put the butter or oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
When hot, add the onion and some salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to
medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is very
soft and lightly browned (at least 20 minutes, probably longer). Cook
until practically melted. Add the herbs, stir, turn off the heat and
cool slightly. Combine the eggs and cream in a bowl, then add the
onion mixture.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or
until almost firm. Cool on a wire rack.
Cranberry Bean, Kale and Pasta Soup
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 1/2 tablespoons, divided
2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced, about 2 cups
2 medium carrots, finely chopped, about 1 cup
1 onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
3 cups dried cranberry beans or red kidney beans
Kosher salt
2 bunches lacinato kale, cleaned, stemmed and coarsely chopped, about 10 cups
3 cups dried orecchiette pasta (about 9 ounces)
1 tablespoon fresh minced sage
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
1. In a 4-quart soup pot or cast iron casserole (with a lid that fits), heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and cook the leeks, carrots and onions over medium-low heat until just softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the dried beans and 12 cups of water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with the lid, stirring occasionally. After about 45 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Continue to cook, covered, and again stirring occasionally, just until the beans are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour or more (this may vary according to the beans you use).
3. With a slotted spoon, remove 1 cup of the beans and, separately, 2 tablespoons of bean liquor and set both aside. Add the kale to the soup, stirring in a few cups at a time as the greens wilt. Cover, and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes more until the greens are tender, then remove from the heat.
4. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and reserve.
5. In a food processor, combine the reserved beans and bean liquor, sage, parsley, paprikas and lemon juice, the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, then check for seasoning, adding more salt if desired, or bean liquor to aid in blending.
6. Just before serving, stir the cooked pasta into the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with about 2 tablespoons of spiced bean purée. Grate Parmesan over the top of each bowl to taste and serve immediately.