My Allium Garden

 Spring is here and with it gardening. It's going to be exciting for me because I'm planning on planting an allium garden. These are leeks, garlic and onions, the ingredients I use the most, especially garlic.

Here are the leeks that I cut from the leeks I used from my celery soup and leeks on toast.

As you can see , there are little shoots coming up. In another week there should be about an inch of leek coming up.

The other one is really thriving. as you can see from the pale green sprout coming up. 

This is the garden I want along with tomatoes. I want to plant what I need the most. Leeks are wonderful and just great with butter and Parmesan cheese on toast. Onions and garlic are ingredients I frequently use and love . I can try out variations of French onion soup with just picked from the garden ones. I can slice, batter and air fry them  creating my version of the Blooming Onion. Garlic is my number one flavoring and I cook a lot with it. Young or green garlic can be made into so many different dishes. One recipe on my radar is Alice Waters'  green garlic and pasta recipe, a take on pasta aglia e olio. There's also a green garlic soup with the tender green stems or scapes that sounds delicious.It also has vinegar for zing and heavy cream which can be switched out with silken tofu and soy milk for a vegan version. As for the tomatoes, , I will be growing some form, whether beefsteak or cherry which will be highlighted with the garlic. I'm not one for making sauces, preferring the fresher salsa crudo for summertime spaghetti.

It is planting season. I am planting what I know I'll need the most - alliums. They're going to be a fun and exciting addition to my kitchen this late Spring and summer!!!

Leeks On Toast - Pure Heaven

Leeks are flavorful and fragrant. They're a cousin of garlic, hence their strong taste and aroma which adds to any dish. Imagine cooked ones on toast, dripping with butter and Parmesan cheese. This is one of my family's favorite recipes, coming from my great aunt's in-laws from Biella, Italy. Leeks on toast have been one of my all time favorite ones, one I could eat it every few days if I could.

Leeks are an easy cook. They are expensive though , being almost nine dollars for just a bunch of three.They have to be thoroughly rinsed in cold water  to get the sand out(they grow best in sandy soil - for those who want to add them to their vegetable garden). Wash for two to three minutes. They then need to be cut into half inch pieces and then cooked in salted water for about twelve to fifteen minutes. They'll look like this

They're kind of soupy looking but there's a reason for it. but let's get to the recipe first. There will be a portion drained and reserved for the toast. This is about a cup of drained leeks,. Drain the excess water back into the pot. 

As the leeks are cooking, toast eight slices of white bread. Any good sandwich  bread such as Pepperidge Farm will do the trick. Once toasted, place the slices on an ungreased cookie sheet. Evenly spoon cooked leeks over the slices, followed by a liberal sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and a fat knob of butter. Bake for ten  minutes in preheated 325 degree oven Farenheit. 

This is the finished product

They are bites of pure pleasure with the almost garlicky greenness of the leeks married to the melted butter and baked Parmesan. It's seriously the most perfect taste!

As for those leftover leeks and water,wait until they're cooled, then drain. Keep the leeks for leeks on toast or soups. Keep the leek water for soup. It's more flavorful than vegetable stock and would be a great addition to potato soup or even making an onion soup with it. Some home chefs add potato peels to it for more flavor and depth - that's up to you.

Leeks are the most wonderful veggie on earth. They're fragrant and flavor. Use them for vichyssoise or better yet, spoon them on toast and bake them with butter and Parmesan cheese for a truly yum moment!