Tag Archives: leeks

Creamy Farro With Crispy Mushrooms and Sour Cream alison roman

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  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 4 medium leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound mix of mushrooms, such as maitake, oyster, cremini or chanterelle, torn into bite-size pieces (about 5 cups)
  •  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ¾ cups pearled or semi-pearled farro or barley
  • 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • ½ cup finely chopped chives (from about 1 bunch)
  • 1 cup fresh dill leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for squeezing
  •  Sour cream, for serving
  1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the leeks and half the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and crisped, 12 to 15 minutes. (They will start giving off moisture and steaming a little before this happens, so be patient.)
  2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a medium bowl leaving any olive oil behind. (They will have absorbed the oil as they cook, and released it back as they crisp.) Add a bit more olive oil so there’s another 1/4 cup or so in the pot. Cook the remaining leeks and mushrooms, adding them to the bowl with the other mushrooms.
  3. Without wiping the pot, add farro and season with salt and pepper. Cook over that same medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until farro is toasted on the outside (it will go from pale golden brown to a toastier golden brown), about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to a strong simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until farro is fully cooked and most (but not all) of the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. It should still look a bit loose, like risotto or a porridge. Remove from heat and add half the chives.
  5. Toss dill, remaining chives and lemon zest together in a small bowl. To serve, season farro with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls. Top with sour cream, mushrooms and leeks, and dill mixture. Serve lemon wedges alongside for squeezing.

Bread and Tomato Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro) from saveur.com

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1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and finely chopped
9 cups puréed peeled Italian tomatoes
3  cups veggie stock
9 slices (¾”-thick) stale, unsalted Tuscan bread (about 1 lb.), halved
2 tbsp. chopped basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat ⅓ cup of the oil in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until light golden, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add leeks, and cook, stirring often, until very soft but not browned, 15–20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken and beef stocks and stir to mix well. Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the bread, pushing it into the soup with a wooden spoon until each piece is submerged. Add the basil and stir gently to combine. Cover the pot and set it aside to let the bread soak until completely softened, about 30 minutes.
Uncover the pot and whisk the soup vigorously until the bread breaks down and the soup resembles porridge, 4–5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently reheat soup over medium heat. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and drizzle with remaining olive oil.

 

French Mussel Bisque by Ina

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1 (750-ml) bottle dry white wine, divided
3 pounds fresh mussels, cleaned
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1 large leek, white and light green parts, cleaned and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 whole canned plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or dill

Bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup of the wine to a boil in a large, shallow pot. Add the mussels, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the mussels open. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, separate the mussels from the shells and set aside, discarding the shells and any mussels that didn’t open. Strain the cooking liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl and reserve.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in another large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions, leek, carrots, garlic, saffron, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute.

Add 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid (discard the rest) and the rest of the wine, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the reserved mussels, the half-and-half, and the cream. Heat until just heated through but not boiling. Stir in the parsley or dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Serve hot.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/french-mussel-bisque-recipe.html?oc=linkback

cabbage vegetable soup – everyday food

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2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 medium carrots, diced small
2 celery stalks, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced small
6-8 c. veggie broth
2 bay leaves
1/2-1 tsp thyme
1/2 head green cabbage cored and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp fresh thyme for garnish
parsley

Halve leeks lengthwise, rinse thorougly, pat dry and cut into 1/2 inch slices In a large Dutch oven heat oil over med-high heat. Add onion, carros and celery; cook stirring occas until softened. Add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring until leeks begin to soften; 2 min. Add potatoes, broth, bay leaves and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir in cabbage and season generously with salt and pepper.

Return soup to a boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Cover and cook until veggies are tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar and thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.