Raw Chopped Leeks
We had another abundant harvest of leeks. A full garden bed of 300 leeks is a bit much for just the two of us but it forces me to be more creative in my storage and cooking. They do store fresh for 3 to 4 weeks, washed and bagged in the refrigerator. I also slice and store raw leeks in the freezer for use in soups, stews and rice.
For caramelized leeks it takes about a half hour to brown the leeks in a cast iron frying pan but, I decided to try the oven method. I knew it would take longer, but I wouldn’t be constantly stirring them.
Here’s how:
Carefully wash and slice enough leeks to fit in your broiler pan or baking dish. Toss with 2-3 T. olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out in pan and roast for about 2 hours at 300 degrees. Stir or mix about every ½ hour bringing the outer edges of browned leeks into the center of pan. Experiment with the oven temperature. The second time I made these the leeks were roasted for about an hour at 350 degrees. You will have to stir them a little more often, every fifteen minutes, so they don’t burn or get too crispy.
I used part of the finished product in my wild rice bread stuffing and froze the rest in small containers – ready for whatever I choose to make.
Let us know what other uses you come up with!
Caramelized Leeks