Leeks Tweaked

 A favorite family dish is leeks on toast. This Piedmontese recipe has been in my family for almost a century, garnered when my great aunt married a boy from Biella , Italy. It is a great dish that brings out the garlicky ,earthy flavor of leeks. I thought I'd give  a few tweaks.

I had leftover leeks form yesterday's celery soup. In fact I'm planting the roots in my backyard for my allium garden along with my garlic and onion sprouts.

The leeks do have to be cut and soaked in salted water to remove dirt. This just takes ten minutes.

The slices are then rinsed in cold water to get rid of the dirty salted water.Usually the leeks are boiled in hot water over a burner but I decided to steam them for five minutes in the microwave. Doing this retains more of their flavor and nutrients.

As for the bread I decided to switch it up and use this artisan bread from Shop -Rite. It's a French peasant loaf from the Heidelburg Bread Company.

They don't need to be toasted. The slices are crusty enough.

The leeks were put on top. They were super soft thanks to being steamed in the microwave.

Then it's adding a good dollop of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and a sprinkle of Follow Your Heart vegan Parmesan  soy cheese. 

The slices are then baked in a preheated 325 degree Farenheit oven for ten minutes.

Ten minutes later they were ready - the perfect marriage of crusty and melty .. The vegan cheese is just the same as the real Parmesan and it even browned

As for the taste, it was phenomenal. I love the French bread underneath which went well with the leeks. It sopped up the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and was still toasty and crispy.

The updated version is worth making. It's a nice spin on the original, with an earthier , more intense flavor thanks to steaming the leeks. It's a great weeknight or week day dish, easy to make, easier to eat.

Winnowing Down Thanksgiving

 Yes, this will be a different Thanksgiving this year. The holiday table will be only three or four people at the most,thanks to the virus flaring up again. Luckily the traditional dinner can be whittled down . There can still be delicious dishes and traditional flavors but done a bit differently.

Melissa Clark wrote about this in today's New York Times Food section.it's what's been written about before here. Some of her suggestions are similar to what was written here a week or two ago. You can have a smaller bird, but you can also opt for either serving all dark or all white meat. She chose thighs which are a lot easier to deal with than breasts. However Ms. Clark suggests that if you like white meat more along with having leftovers then go for the breasts. Her recipe has the meat paired with quick pickled onions and cranberries for a different spin. Of course there's stuffing,The amount just have to be halved or quartered , depending upon how many will be at your table. You do want to fill the stuffing up to the top of the pan so you have that famed crusty top She gives a recipe that has not too crusty white or whole wheat bread baked with turkey, chicken or vegetable broth and a variety of fresh, soft herbs such as parsley, chive tarragon, mint basil or cilantro. Choose three You can also go for sage which is the standard herb for stuffing. Scallions are also added. Gravy has to be served too.Just remember to halve or quarter the measurements (unless you want a lot for leftovers).

What about the classics? Do serve mashed potatoes, Just halve or quarter the recipe. They do have one flaw - getting cold very quickly. Make them before you sit down or pop them into the microwave to keep them warm. Should there be a casserole on the table too? Yes, according to Ms. Clark. There's a choice of green bean, sweet potato, spoonbread or mac and cheese.Just whittle down the amounts again and keep in mind the depth of the pan used is less important. You'll still have a crunchy top with a soft middle. You can serve vegetable sides too. Ms. Clark gives the recipe for a zingy maple roasted squash with sage and lime. Cayenne cooked with maple syrup livens up ordinary squash during baking in a 425 degree F oven for fifteen to twenty minutes. As far as pie, Ms Clark is a fan of baking an entire one, enthusing about having the leftovers for the upcoming days after. Yet for those who feel that a pie many be too much, she gives the recipe for pumpkin sticky toffee puddings. These are a spin on the classic British Christmas classic, complete with chopped dates and brown sugar. The spin comes from adding pumpkin puree (and not filling which is already spiced). They're topped with the traditional brandy and bourbon , again with pumpkin puree , heavy cream and butter. You can add whipped cream and sea salt for more flavor.

Thanksgiving will be a very small affair this year. Yet you can still have the same delicious flavors, just cut down on the amount. It will still be big on flavor but little on servings.

Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served. My admiration always.