I see the expression "trim a leek" .
How much green do you leave? - Mike

"Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
...
>I see the expression "trim a leek" .
> How much green do you leave? - Mike

Not as much as I used to. They're selling for $1.99 each in our area!

Van
>

In article >,
Michael Horowitz > wrote:

> I see the expression "trim a leek" .
> How much green do you leave? - Mike

I've given this one some thought, and some trial. There are two reasons
that I see to trim off some of the green:

1. You are preparing something white, like a white soup. Of course,
the part that is green and good can then be used for something else.

2. Due to transportation, age or storage, the part of the green
farthest from the root is dried and fibrous, and just not good to eat.

My personal observation is that people cut off *way* too much of the
green. We live in California, and sometimes almost the whole green part
is tender and tasty. I have argued this with my wife, who cuts off
quite a bit and tosses it in the compost. That's mighty expensive
compost, at the price of leeks. So one day she was making potato leek
soup, and I offered to cut the leeks. As usual, she wanted mostly just
the white. So I saved the good part of the green separately. I think
that you can learn to judge what's good by eye, but I tasted to make
sure this time. I discarded the obviously dried and fibrous part, and
then tried a very thin slice of raw leek. It was fine.

So my wife made the soup with the mostly white part, and I cooked the
green part separately. Both leek parts were sauteed in butter and then
simmered in chicken stock. The green part got no other preparation, but
the white part was made into soup with the addition of potatoes and
milk.

When it was time to eat, the two pots were served separately. I tried
some green in a little bowl, and it tasted fine, so I added a generous
amount to my soup bowl. My wife and daughter tried the green and agreed
that it was fine.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

In article >,
Michael Horowitz > wrote:

> I see the expression "trim a leek" .
> How much green do you leave? - Mike

I only trim the dry parts. We've talked about this here before.
I find the leek greens to be just as useful as the white part, providing
they are cooked sufficiently.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

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On Feb 21, 9:04*am, Omelet > wrote:
> In article >,
> *Michael Horowitz > wrote:
>
> > I see the expression "trim a leek" .
> > How much green do you leave? - Mike
>
> I only trim the dry parts. *We've talked about this here before.
> I find the leek greens to be just as useful as the white part, providing
> they are cooked sufficiently.
> --
> Peace! Om
>
> "Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." *
> --Steve Rothstein
>
> Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
>
> Subscribe:

I love leeks, I trim only the parts of the green that are tough and
dry.

One thing I've noticed is all the funny ways people say to clean
leeks. Some say soak them, some say
swish them, some say cut them in half lengthwise and soak or swish.

I found the easiest way to clean leaks, at least for me....

Trim the parts that are tough and dry and cut off the root. Then
chop the leeks however you want them for
your recipe, put them in a collander and rinse the hell out of them.
Ta Da!! all the dirt and grit is gone and
your leeks are all sparkling clean and ready to add to your pot.

"Omelet" wrote,
> Michael Horowitz wrote:

>> I see the expression "trim a leek" .
>> How much green do you leave? - Mike
>
> I only trim the dry parts. We've talked about this here before.
> I find the leek greens to be just as useful as the white part, providing
> they are cooked sufficiently.

I have to laugh. I use the greens and sometimes toss the white parts out.
It's a texture issue with Asian cookery.

On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:20:51 -0800, Dan Abel > wrote:

>In article >,
> Michael Horowitz > wrote:
>
>> I see the expression "trim a leek" .
>> How much green do you leave? - Mike
>
>I've given this one some thought, and some trial. There are two reasons
>that I see to trim off some of the green:
>
>1. You are preparing something white, like a white soup. Of course,
>the part that is green and good can then be used for something else.
>
>2. Due to transportation, age or storage, the part of the green
>farthest from the root is dried and fibrous, and just not good to eat.
>
>My personal observation is that people cut off *way* too much of the
>green. We live in California, and sometimes almost the whole green part
>is tender and tasty. I have argued this with my wife, who cuts off
>quite a bit and tosses it in the compost. That's mighty expensive
>compost, at the price of leeks. So one day she was making potato leek
>soup, and I offered to cut the leeks. As usual, she wanted mostly just
>the white. So I saved the good part of the green separately. I think
>that you can learn to judge what's good by eye, but I tasted to make
>sure this time. I discarded the obviously dried and fibrous part, and
>then tried a very thin slice of raw leek. It was fine.
>
>So my wife made the soup with the mostly white part, and I cooked the
>green part separately. Both leek parts were sauteed in butter and then
>simmered in chicken stock. The green part got no other preparation, but
>the white part was made into soup with the addition of potatoes and
>milk.
>
>When it was time to eat, the two pots were served separately. I tried
>some green in a little bowl, and it tasted fine, so I added a generous
>amount to my soup bowl. My wife and daughter tried the green and agreed
>that it was fine.


Wow.; because I've only used leeks two-three times and it called for
removing the green in both cases, I assumed it was normal not to use
them.I'll remedy that in a hurry ! - Mike

Michael Horowitz > wrote:

>Wow.; because I've only used leeks two-three times and it called for
>removing the green in both cases

(What is the antecedent for "it" in this sentence??)

In any case, for braised leeks, it's pretty normal to delete
that fraction of the greens that won't cook quickly. For
most other uses, leave 'em in.

I don't consider it a waste to trim off some green if
necessary, since it goes in with the vegetable scraps
for making stock.

Steve

On 2/21/2010 8:27 AM, Michael Horowitz wrote:
> I see the expression "trim a leek" .
> How much green do you leave? - Mike

Next time you're in a bookstore find "Martha Stewart's Cooking
School"--she has step by step instructions with clear photos showing how
to trim a leek.

"trim a leek"


So THAT'S what the kids are calling it these days...

-J

"Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
...
>I see the expression "trim a leek" .
> How much green do you leave? - Mike
>

Trim off the *tough* green stalks until you have tender green. I've never
lived any place where the major green parts of leeks were like anything
other than like the leaves on ears of corn. Tough and very fibrous. Some
people are fortunate to live where leeks are grown and can get them when the
green parts are still nice and tender. Hasn't been my experience. <shrug>
I only leave a little of the green when I trim leeks. Alas, I haven't been
able to find nice leeks since I moved to SC. Pity - seems like they'd grow
very well in this climate.

Jill

"jmcquown" > writes:

> "Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
> ...
>>I see the expression "trim a leek" .
>> How much green do you leave? - Mike
>>
>
> Trim off the *tough* green stalks until you have tender green. I've never
> lived any place where the major green parts of leeks were like anything
> other than like the leaves on ears of corn. Tough and very fibrous. Some
> people are fortunate to live where leeks are grown and can get them when the
> green parts are still nice and tender. Hasn't been my experience. <shrug>
> I only leave a little of the green when I trim leeks. Alas, I haven't been
> able to find nice leeks since I moved to SC. Pity - seems like they'd grow
> very well in this climate.
>
> Jill

Cut the tougher parts finely and use in stews in a pressure
cooker. Tasty, healthy and colorful.

"Bogbrush" > wrote in message
...
> "jmcquown" > writes:
>
>> "Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>I see the expression "trim a leek" .
>>> How much green do you leave? - Mike
>>>
>>
>> Trim off the *tough* green stalks until you have tender green. I've
>> never
>> lived any place where the major green parts of leeks were like anything
>> other than like the leaves on ears of corn. Tough and very fibrous.
>> Some
>> people are fortunate to live where leeks are grown and can get them when
>> the
>> green parts are still nice and tender. Hasn't been my experience.
>> <shrug>
>> I only leave a little of the green when I trim leeks. Alas, I haven't
>> been
>> able to find nice leeks since I moved to SC. Pity - seems like they'd
>> grow
>> very well in this climate.
>>
>> Jill
>
> Cut the tougher parts finely and use in stews in a pressure
> cooker. Tasty, healthy and colorful.
>
Barbara Tropp has a great recipe for stir-fried beef with silky leeks. For
that recipe, one uses almost all of the green. It's delicious.

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:39:35 -0500, "Janet" >
wrote:

>
>"Bogbrush" > wrote in message
...
>> "jmcquown" > writes:
>>
>>> "Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>I see the expression "trim a leek" .
>>>> How much green do you leave? - Mike
>>>>
>>>
>>> Trim off the *tough* green stalks until you have tender green. I've
>>> never
>>> lived any place where the major green parts of leeks were like anything
>>> other than like the leaves on ears of corn. Tough and very fibrous.
>>> Some
>>> people are fortunate to live where leeks are grown and can get them when
>>> the
>>> green parts are still nice and tender. Hasn't been my experience.
>>> <shrug>
>>> I only leave a little of the green when I trim leeks. Alas, I haven't
>>> been
>>> able to find nice leeks since I moved to SC. Pity - seems like they'd
>>> grow
>>> very well in this climate.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> Cut the tougher parts finely and use in stews in a pressure
>> cooker. Tasty, healthy and colorful.
>>
>Barbara Tropp has a great recipe for stir-fried beef with silky leeks. For
>that recipe, one uses almost all of the green. It's delicious.
>
>

Pardon me for tagging on here, an apologies if this has been noted
already in the thread, but Jacques Pepin has detailed leek cleaning-
trimming photos on page 18 of the book shown there. Page 14 shows how
to julienne.

http://tinyurl.com/y8woe5y

On Feb 22, 11:55 am, Boron Elgar > wrote:

> Pardon me for tagging on here, an apologies if this has been noted
> already in the thread, but Jacques Pepin has detailed leek cleaning-
> trimming photos on page 18 of the book shown there. Page 14 shows how
> to julienne.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/y8woe5y

Ah yes, Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques, a combination of his two
earlier books, La Methode and La Technique. They were two of my
bibles years ago and still are highly useful references. Highly
recommended in the new combined edition.

I also recall a show of his where he wanted just the white and barely
green part of the leaves, so he held the leek in one hand and cut each
leaf individually. This allowed him to cut longer lengths as he
rotated the leek and got to the inner leaves, since the white part
goes further up as you go further inside. -aem

aem wrote:

> On Feb 22, 11:55 am, Boron Elgar > wrote:
>
>
>>Pardon me for tagging on here, an apologies if this has been noted
>>already in the thread, but Jacques Pepin has detailed leek cleaning-
>>trimming photos on page 18 of the book shown there. Page 14 shows how
>>to julienne.
>>
>>http://tinyurl.com/y8woe5y
>
>
> Ah yes, Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques, a combination of his two
> earlier books, La Methode and La Technique. They were two of my
> bibles years ago and still are highly useful references. Highly
> recommended in the new combined edition.
>
> I also recall a show of his where he wanted just the white and barely
> green part of the leaves, so he held the leek in one hand and cut each
> leaf individually. This allowed him to cut longer lengths as he
> rotated the leek and got to the inner leaves, since the white part
> goes further up as you go further inside. -aem

Saw that. His aim is to get as much of the edible green
part as possible ("Leeks are expensive").

I guess it depends on your definition of edible. He was pretty
aggressive in getting as much green in as possible. From what
I saw I go for a bit less green than he. It can get pretty chewy
no matter how much you cook it.

Or maybe he just gets better quality leeks from that huge garden
of his.

--
Mort

ImStillMags wrote:
> Omelet > wrote:
>
>> *Michael Horowitz > wrote:
>
>> > I see the expression "trim a leek" .
>> > How much green do you leave?
>
>> I only trim the dry parts. *We've talked about this here before.
>> I find the leek greens to be just as useful as the white part, providing
>> they are cooked sufficiently.
>
> I love leeks, I trim only the parts of the green that are tough and
> dry.

And the definition for tough varies from recipe to recipe. If I am
going to put the leak in a crock pot and stew it all day I only trim off
a very small amount of the green leaves. If I am going to sautee the
leak quickly I will trim at least half of the green leaves off and
finely dice the rest.

> I found the easiest way to clean leaks, at least for me....
>
> Trim the parts that are tough and dry and cut off the root. Then
> chop the leeks however you want them for
> your recipe, put them in a collander and rinse the hell out of them.
> Ta Da!! all the dirt and grit is gone and
> your leeks are all sparkling clean and ready to add to your pot.

Nice suggestion. For sauteeing I tend to like my leaks in long pieces
so for that use I do the cut in half and swish.

"Janet" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Bogbrush" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "jmcquown" > writes:
>>
>>> "Michael Horowitz" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>I see the expression "trim a leek" .
>>>> How much green do you leave? - Mike
>>>>
>>>
>>> Trim off the *tough* green stalks until you have tender green. I've
>>> never
>>> lived any place where the major green parts of leeks were like anything
>>> other than like the leaves on ears of corn. Tough and very fibrous.
>>> Some
>>> people are fortunate to live where leeks are grown and can get them when
>>> the
>>> green parts are still nice and tender. Hasn't been my experience.
>>> <shrug>
>>> I only leave a little of the green when I trim leeks. Alas, I haven't
>>> been
>>> able to find nice leeks since I moved to SC. Pity - seems like they'd
>>> grow
>>> very well in this climate.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> Cut the tougher parts finely and use in stews in a pressure
>> cooker. Tasty, healthy and colorful.
>>
> Barbara Tropp has a great recipe for stir-fried beef with silky leeks. For
> that recipe, one uses almost all of the green. It's delicious.
>
>

I don't own (nor do I want to own) a pressure cooker. Don't really want
stir-fried anything, either. I'm sure it's delicious, although how you can
make something as tough and fibrous as banana leaves nice and tender is
beyond my understanding. You can have mine.

Jill

>> Barbara Tropp has a great recipe for stir-fried beef with silky leeks.
>> For that recipe, one uses almost all of the green. It's delicious.
>>
>>
>
> I don't own (nor do I want to own) a pressure cooker. Don't really want
> stir-fried anything, either. I'm sure it's delicious, although how you
> can make something as tough and fibrous as banana leaves nice and tender
> is beyond my understanding. You can have mine.
>
> Jill

I don't own or want a pressure cooker either.

What do you have against stir-frying?

Anyway, I've never had a banana leaf, but the green part of leeks is not
actually tougher than any green vegetable (less so than many) and certainly
not fibrous....not when sliced fairly thinly and cooked, anyway. Tropp says
to remove withered leaves, trim off the root and the top couple of inches of
green--obviously not if they have already been grossly overtrimmed, which is
often the case in supermarkets--cut them into 2" lengths and then into 1/4
in slices. They only take about 1 1/2 minutes of cooking to become soft.