Leeks - lightly roasted or sautéed in butter

I have gotten requests this past month for a unique new vegetable side dish. I had to think about that for a bit because I thought I had quite a few good ones.. But it came to me pretty quick that I have never done a post on how great leeks are.

First - exactly what is a leek? Leeks are a vegetable from the onion, shallot and chive family. They are truly very special and often under-appreciated in America’s kitchens.

Here are a couple of great idea’s on how to cook and serve leeks.

First, Leeks need to be cleaned before prep. Cut the leeks down their side as shown here and wash the insides very well to get residual dirt out.

*Leeks always need a quick wash before chop.

As shown you can discard the dark greens part and place the lighter green color leeks in a roasting pan or on a half sheet pan.

Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 375 degree oven for approx 20 minutes. If you want a nice char cook 10 minutes more.

When you remove the leeks from the oven - you can add a handful of grated Parmesan Cheese then serve.

*Or you can add a lemon dressing or even a favorite aioli made from scratch.

*The other easy way to serve this wonderful vegetable is sautéed in butter, salt and pepper.

Chop the leeks after washing and sauté in butter, salt and pepper until very tender.

ENJOY!