For the winter kitchen

Leeks are versatile vegetables. Also it is common in the Butcher's shop used, particularly popular in the party service sector. It refines soups and stews, but also has what it takes to be the protagonist on the plate. The bars have a pleasantly spicy taste without being overpowering. Leek gives pasta and risotto a pleasant freshness. The winter vegetables are also a dream out of the oven, be it with them ham and gratinated with cheese, in a quiche, in a gratin and in savory muffins. For a quick vegetable side dish, the white stem is cut into rings and steamed in a little salted water with a pinch of sugar for eight minutes. Leeks are also a good sauce base, as the vegetables will break down as they cook. It is best to use the tender, inner layers of the shaft for a salad. Raw leeks have a tart aroma and are often combined with apples and a spicy vinaigrette.

Leeks, also known as leeks, are native to the western Mediterranean and are closely related to onions and garlic. In Germany, leeks are mainly grown in Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. Leeks are commercially available all year round. Winter leeks, which have dark green leaves and thicker stalks, are available from October. It tastes much heartier than the slim summer leek. In the shop and at the weekly market, only reach for fresh spears that do not have any cracks or yellowing. The shaft should have as much white as possible. Wrapped in kitchen paper, the sticks can be kept in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Due to the strong smell, they are best kept separately from other foods.

Before preparing it, the sticks must be thoroughly cleaned of sand and earth. To do this, the roots, the green tips and any coarser, outer leaves are removed. The vegetables can be washed in a nutrient-friendly manner by cutting the shaft lengthwise down the middle, bending it out like a fan and rinsing it under running water. Leeks score with plenty of fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, folic acid and minerals such as potassium and calcium. There are only around 100 calories in 30 grams. Sulphur-containing compounds are responsible for the typical taste, which also get the circulation and digestion going.

Heike Kreutz, www.bzfe.de