When you have a large crop of leeks from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include them in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use them up before they go bad without getting sick of them. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.
Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve leeks:
- Add them to other sautés and stirfries. With their subtle, delicate flavor, they complement most sautéed and stirfried dishes, simple or complex.
- Top a baked or mashed potato with them.
- Add them to pasta dishes, stovetop or baked.
- Add them to rice and couscous dishes.
- Add them to oatmeal to make a delicious savory oatmeal, alone or with sweet potatoes.
- Add them to soups and broths.
- Make infused vinegar. This is a great way to preserve the leeks and their mineral content. Infused vinegar can be used as a whole or partial salad dressing, among other uses. You can also experiment with adding herbs like dill or lemon balm to the leeks and vinegar while infusing.
- Make leek honey. Herbal honey is a delicious way to preserve the herbal properties of your leeks, extend their shelf life, and get benefits of honey too. It can also be a fantastic salad dressing base. Sound like a strange flavor combination? It's sweeter than you think!
- Dry or dehydrate them. They can then be added to salads, used as potato toppings, or powdered for a great thickener and flavor addition to savory baked goods. If you want the benefits of leeks but don't care for the taste, you can also take the powder a step further and put it in a capsule to take as a pill.
- Dice and freeze them to save them for later. All parts of the leek can be frozen.
Further Reading
Growing leeks? Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.
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