Behold the power of LEEKS!!

We had to thin out our leeks over the weekend. When we bought the the leeks, they resembled teeny-tiny chives and even though I had researched the plant before we bought them - we failed to thin them out immediately when brought them home. We just put them all in one medium sized pot. DOH! It took the two of us to gingerly pry those suckers out of that pot when we finally got around to buying a big rectangular planter. Holy cow - that pot was packed with roots. We took the bigger ones and spread those out in the planter, I'm hoping they'll continue to grow even bigger. The smaller ones we divided up and gave half of the bunch away so that they don't go to waste. The rest I will be using in a Caramlized Leek Noodle recipe I found.

Leeks, they're whats for dinner.

I added Chicken to the recipe even though it didn't call for it. I cooked the chicken up first then added the leeks in. This definitely hit the spot!

·         2 medium leeks (since I was utilizing the smaller leeks we grew I used about 6-8 small ones)

·         1/2 Tbsp olive oil

·         1 Tbsp soya margarine

·         1/2 Tbsp dark brown soft sugar

·         5 ounces (150 g) noodles

·         2 heaping Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

·         1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

·         Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Split the leeks lengthways and wash each layer thoroughly. Slice across into thin strips, including the green part.

Heat the olive oil and margarine together over a gentle heat. When the margarine has melted, add the leeks and toss well. Cook slowly, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the leeks start to soften.

Sprinkle over the sugar. After a couple more minutes, mix well. Continue to cook for 15 to 30 minutes, until the leeks have begun to collapse into a sticky mass. Add small amounts of hot water if required to stop sticking.

While the leeks are cooking, cook and drain the noodles.

When the leeks are done, add the parsley, olive oil, cooked noodles and seasoning to taste. Toss well and serve.