Welcome to the first installment of *insert catchy-yet-cute title for my food series here*! The first ingredient that we're going to be learning about is: leeks!
I have to admit, I was a bit salty when I ended up picking this first; in order to make things completely unbiased and open for experiments, I typed every seasonal winter item into a lottery generator to make sure that I included the things that I was unfamiliar with. So, to everyone who thought I was going to be quirky and seasonal with something like a pumpkin or cranberries... sorry. Now, I'm going to admit; even though these look like a thicker version of green onions (which are my favorite onion-y vegetable to use), I wasn't really aware of what you could do with this ingredient. I come from a family of Black picky eaters, so most of what we eat either has a soul food background or just a traditional American background, and neither cuisines tend to use leeks to the best of my knowledge. But, since there is a wide open space for variety and newness in the culinary world, I decided to give leeks a try. Let's see what the old search engine has to tell me about my new vegetable.
The leek belongs to the Liliaceae family, which yes, looks hard to pronounce but isn't all that bad (LIL-ee-AY-suh). They are relatives of what I'll call the "loud" group, meaning onions, asparagus, garlic, chives, and shallots. Funny enough, the liliaceae family also houses lilies and tulips, the beautiful flowers that bloom in the spring time. A noticeable similarity between these lovely perennials and their edible counterparts is that they all have bulb-like structures from which they sprout, whether it be the obvious bulb that a garlic clove, shallot, and tulip share or the longer, tuber-like stems, which resemble the leek, chive, and lily shoots. The adaptive feature of bulbs, whether it be for flowers or foods, is that they are able to store a large amount of energy in between growing seasons; their bulbousness allows the organism to keep reservoirs of energy and nutrients that it can use to later develop roots, shoots, leaves, and flowers.
The origin of leeks in recipes stretches back into ancient times; originating in central Asia, it is more commonly referred to in ancient cookbooks owned by the Egyptians and Romans, used often for feasts. From their first citing in the world's very first cookbook in 3rd century Rome, leeks were known to be served independently as their own side, while their cousins (onions and garlic) were commonly used as seasonings for other dishes. Eventually, leeks made their way to Europe and the British Isles; there, they were cultivated and used widely in European cuisine; according to history, they made a particularly significant mark in Wales, where were used to identify soldiers from their enemies in the battle of Heathfield in 633 AD. Apparently, someone thought that instead of changing the color of their battle gear, the only way that they could tell their soldiers apart was to wear a leek in their helmets. Ever since then, Wales has established the leek as their national vegetable.
As far as nutritional benefits, leeks seem to be the OG superfood; rich in fiber and heart protecting nutrients, the leek is a force to be reckoned with. It is commonly used in European and Mediterranean dishes, appearing in areas like France, Scotland, Turkey, Wales, and even going back to its roots in China. All of these areas commonly use leeks in savory dishes (which is reasonable, because if anyone asks me to cook a sweet onion dish, I'm not giving them an answer). normally being boiled and pureed in soups or integrated with a starch, like rice, starchy pancakes, or potatoes. It's common when cooking that only the white to light green part of the leek is used, while the green tops are removed in order to prevent any textural controversy in a dish. Their mild onion flavor is an ideal pairing for a dish like soup or broth when you want a softer onion flavor... and a softer onion intensity, if you know what I mean.
So, what am I going to cook with this? I've decided to head back to Google for more ideas; while I feel like I can get creative with something that involves onions, using a leek for a milder substitute in a patty melt or with some kind of pasta instead of shallots, I'm kind of scared to experiment for the time being. Maybe I'll update you guys with any creative spins or innovative uses, but for right now, I might keep it simple for the start of the series. Let's go somewhat seasonal for a soup that will warm us up during the cold winter, and then maybe let's use leeks for a side dish to something like baked chicken:
Smashed Potatoes with Leeks and Garlic (because I am not aware of what green garlic is, I'm just going to substitute it for regular garlic)
Tell me how the recipes turn out below! Did you change anything about them?
*NOTE: As of right now (the day that this article is posted), I have not yet cooked the recipes, so they may require a little bit of tweaking to fit your tastes. I'm still working out the kinks for this series, so next time I might try to test the recipe out before I offer it to y'all so I won't get roasted for a potential cooking disaster.
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Sources (not cited, used for reference/inspiration):
2020. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-are-leeks-how-to-cook-leeks-at-home#5-easy-ways-to-cook-leeks.
Ferguson, Donna. 2020. "A History Of Leeks: The Food That Saved Wales". Lovefood.Com. https://www.lovefood.com/news/59310/the-food-that-saved-wales--.
Lee, Hilde. 2020. "The History Of Leeks". Kitchenproject.Com. https://kitchenproject.com/history/Leeks/index.htm.
"The Origins Of Leeks - Leeks - Cultures De Chez Nous". 2020. Cultures.Ca. https://www.cultures.ca/en-CA/leeks/origins-leeks.
"What Makes Flower Bulbs Special". 2020. Longfield-Gardens.Com. https://www.longfield-gardens.com/article/easy-to-grow-bulbs#:~:text=Flowering%20bulbs%20have%20an%20important,%2C%20shoots%2C%20leaves%20and%20flowers.