Leeks….. certainly a vegetable that spends its whole life in the shade of other more bold vegetables, like the beetroot, the tomato, the red-hot chili, even the spud gets preference in my household. Yet, every week when I shop, I end up with a bunch of leeks in my trolley. Why?

Leeks are like the color beige….. bland, un-interesting and sometimes even boring! If, however you walk into a vintage kitchen ( which happens to be my favorite ), beige is beautiful and warm and comfortingly familiar! Leeks are like that, they give a creamy, warm and comforting touch to a recipe.  This Potato and leek soup would be completely different if the leeks had to be replaced with onions and this Guinness Beef and Leek Pie would not be half as good if the leeks weren’t there.  In this Lip smakcing Roast Chicken Pasta Bake, the leeks give a lovely warm note to the whole dish.

So next time you shop, add a bunch of leeks to your trolley, you will be amazed!

How to clean leeks:

– Leeks are quite sandy so you need to wash it properly.

– Remove the outer layer of white.

– Cut off the base to remove all the roots.

– Cut the leek in half from the white bottom towards the green tips.

–  Place in a colander and wash under a running tap.

– If the recipe asks for chopped leeks, it is best to chop the leeks first and then rinse under cold water.

Here are a few delicious ideas with leeks

– Add some sauteed leeks to your next pot of mashed potato

– Add chopped leeks to grated potato to make the most delicious rosti

– Leeks  and feta are perfect partners in a quiche

– baby leeks topped with goat’s and parmesan cheese, baked in the oven is one of my favorite starters.

Leeks and Blue Cheese Souffle

serves 4

Ingredients

30 ml butter (you will need more butter further down the recipe)

500 ml chopped leeks

125 ml grated parmesan

120 g butter

80 ml flour

350 ml milk

3 eggs – separated

250 ml mature cheddar cheese

100 g crumbed Fairview Blue Tower

10 ml chopped parsley

10 ml chopped chives

pepper to taste ( no need for salt, the cheese adds more than enough seasoning)

Method

Heat the butter in a pan and add the leeks. Cook and stir until the leeks are soft, but still green. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Puree the leeks in a food processor and allow to cool.  Butter your 4 individual souffle dishes or one big dish. Cut rectangular strips of baking paper and butter the paper. Stick the buttered paper to the inside of the small dishes to form a collar that extends about 3-4 cm above the dish.

Heat the 120 g butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the flour and use your whisk to blend the butter and flour well. Gradually add the milk and keep whisking until the sauce thickens. Once the sauce has thickened, allow the sauce to cook for about 2-3 minutes on low heat.

Preheat your oven to 200 C. Place the white sauce in your mixing bowl and while mixing on  medium speed, add the egg yolks one by one, mixing after each addition. Add the leek puree, the cheese, herbs and pepper and mix through.

Beat the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks and fold into the white sauce mixture. Spoon into the souffle dishes and bake until puffed up golden brown.