Who Needs Onion Rings???!!!

Let me just say I LOVED this challenge. Leeks are something I have wanted to try for quite some time, and it turns out they were delicious. To start the experiment off we made Leek Rings to accompany our turkey burgers. We sliced the leeks into 1/2 inch slices, separated them, and rinsed them. From there we dredged them in flour, then an egg wash, and finally a trip through a second flour mixture that included salt and pepper.

As you can see from our limited space and small pot we were only able to fry a few at a time, but luckily they only took about 1 and 1/2 mintues to fry, unlike regular onion rings. I don't know if any one else has tried to make onion rings at home, but let me save you the heart ache - DON'T do it. They taste fine but you will end up disappointed, with a big mess and not a lot of crunch. I think the leek rings were a great solution, delicious in ketchup, tasty on a burger - a little salty and little crunchy, and overall pretty easy.

The second appearance of leeks in the Hunter home was a Leek Potato soup. When we bought the first leeks we didn't have any recipes in mind, so we made the rings. As we looked for recipes to try, there were a lot of soups, so we choose a soup, and apparently it is a classic in French cuisine, also called a Vishyssoise. This version was pretty simple and not a lot of ingredients, but it did require 4-5 leeks, so we ventured back to the store for more. While making the soup we decided to follow the example of Brian and Sara and try it raw. Wasn't bad, wasn't good - but I prefer them cooked. Not a super strong onion flavor, but strong enough to taste it the rest of the evening:) The soup cooked up in about an hour and was very good. We made enough for leftovers, and the soup reheated very well. I got to use my immersion blender, which I always enjoy. A couple of modifications were made to the recipe (ie half/half instead of heavy cream and a milk and lemon juice substitute for buttermilk) I would like to retry this recipe with buttermilk and see if there is much of a difference in flavor. The directions say to boil the potatoes for 45 minutes but ours only needed about 30 minutes, perhaps I cut them small and they boiled faster.

• 1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed, approximately 4 to 5 medium
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Heavy pinch kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 14 ounces, approximately 3 small, Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives

Chop the leeks into small pieces.

In a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and the vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes.

Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, buttermilk, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.

Ryan tried the soup cold - he thinks it was much better hot. I added some shredded cheddar cheese, and I liked it. Great idea Andrea. We can't wait to see what dad chooses!