Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of
December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the
Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many
cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth
of diversity around us - in true celebration.
Day 18
 |
| My harvested leeks. |
Herb: Leek, Allium porrum, Number 11:5 "We remember the fish
which we used to eat free in Egypt,
the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic.”
The biblical reference aside,
leeks have been recorded as early as 2000 BC.
The leek is one of the national emblems of Wales, worn along with the daffodil
(in Welsh, the daffodil is known as "Peter's leek," Cenhinen Bedr) on St. David’s Day.
The Welsh leek appeared on the coronation gown of Elizabeth II. It was designed by Norman Hartnell; when
Hartnell asked if he could exchange the leek for the more aesthetically
pleasing Welsh daffodil, he was told no.
-- wikipedia
Think of the leek as a scallion on steroids – bigger with
strappy leaves. The leek’s mild onion
flavor lends itself well to many dishes where the onion flavor is desired but
not as pronounced.
Easily grown from seed, it does take about 100 days from
sowing to harvest time, so it is best to seed in every 2-3 weeks through end of February in the desert
garden for a supply going into late spring.
My first sowing are usually right at peek (BIG – but can be
harvested sooner) just in time for St. Patrick’s day feasting and making
colcannon, a mixture of leeks, cabbage and potatoes that is just plain comfort
food.
Recipes:
A leaf of the leek, because of its size, is frequently used
to contain herb bundles, then tied with string to form a Bouquet Garni for use in soups, stews and sauces.
Colcannon
There are many recipes for this dish, but you can’t make any
mistakes really. Leeks, Potatoes,
Cabbage or Kale, salt, pepper, butter and maybe some bacon.
Here is a recipe
from Allrecipes
My Note: I frequently shred the cabbage and slice the
leek ahead of time and when the potatoes are about half-way cooked I throw the
cabbage and leeks in to finish cooking with the potatoes – 1 pot = all cooked and
ready to mash or fold together with the butter and seasonings.
1 pound cabbage
1 pound potatoes
2 leeks
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch ground mace
1/2 cup butter
Directions
In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop
or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from
heat and drain.
Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in
just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.
Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and
milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green
fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well.
Slow Foods Challenge
Pizza
I used a Leek in a “Slow Foods Challenge” 4 years ago where the goal was to make a
homemade version of a happy meal type food.
I chose to do a toaster-oven high protein/high fiber pizza with
tortillas. Check it out!
Music:
Up on the House Top
Gene Autry
Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)
Luciano Pavarotti
Here is Bing
Crosby singing in English and Latin
Note: I grew up singing in Latin and the Christmas
hymns sung in Latin remind me so much of those beautiful songs, although I
don’t remember all the Latin lyrics.
-- Catherine, The Herb Lady
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