Leeks have to be my new favorite vegetable in the kitchen. When we go to the farmer’s market on the weekends, I always stop and grab at least one before browsing all the local vendors. When I get home I put them on the counter with my other fresh produce and the smell just fills the kitchen. I have grown to love the taste and smell of leeks. And now that I know how to cut a leek, I’m an even bigger fan! Its really easy and doesn’t take longer then cutting a normal onion.
First off, lets talk leeks. They are part of the allum family which means its an onion. It produces a big stalk of crazy green leaves on top and a cylinder onion on the bottom. I store mine on the counter and they last about a week. They are great in soups, pastas or any other dish you would normally put onion in. Which is a lot in the Grant house. [Momma loves onion.]
When they are harvested they should be cleaned thoroughly to remove the excess dirt that gets caught in the sheath. I peel a few layers off when I’m washing it to get it as clean as possible. You can see some of the dirt hidden up there between the layers. A good rinse or even a quick scrub with a vegetable brush will get it squeaky clean.
Once its clean, chop off the bottom and top parts. I cut past the light green part of the leek a little bit and some people even use the darker green portion. [I don’t because of the rough texture, but it is edible!] You can either half the leek or leave it cylindrical like I did.
Once its cleaned and quartered, just start dicing! Like I mentioned you can either cut it in half or keep it whole. Its easier to cut when its halved but I like the look of little leek circles in my frying pan. [Its the small things, right?] Now you have a clean, quartered and diced leek ready to be used! And your kitchen probably smells amazing already!
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Crystal says
Ok…you are going to laugh, but I didn’t know what a leek was until your post. I always thought it was some kind of veggie like artichokes or something that I have never ate before. I love onions especially green onions. I know that I’m going to try leeks when I go grocery shopping next week. Thanks for the introduction!!
Kelley says
Oh yay! Leeks are great. They are funny looking but they are oh so tasty! Let me know if you like em!
Author Phyllis f McManus says
I have see them in the produce market but would always choose another type of onion. Actually, until now I didn’t know they were onions. So glad you posted this. I guess what they say about learning something new everyday is true. I am going to buy some next market day and give them a chance. Thank you for posting.
Kelley says
Oh yay! Leeks are awesome. Let me know if you like them after you try ’em!
Stan Santos says
You don’t need to peel off a few layers to clean them.
What I do is make a lengthwise slit with a sharp knife that runs down the leek towards but not completely through the root end, then I partially peel back one or two layers to check for grit while running the leek through a stream of cold water from the faucet. The whole exercise takes about a minute or two. Also less waste that way. Try it the next time you have one on hand.
Kelley says
Oh Ill have to try it that way next time! Thanks for the tip!