Serves: 8

1 pound asparagus spears
2 medium leeks, white parts only
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
6 ounces melted butter
8 ounces grated Gruyère cheese
3 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh snipped chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
12 sheets packaged phyllo pastry
Tomato coulis

• preparation

Trim and cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths. Blanch in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and chill in cold water. Drain on pat dry. Reserve in a bowl.
Slice leek across thinly and wash thoroughly. In a non-stick pan, melt 2 ounces of the butter. Sauté leeks and shallots in butter until transparent.
Add to the asparagus together with grated Gruyère cheese, eggs, chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh dill, chopped fresh snipped chives, salt, fresh ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lay 1 leaf of phyllo on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Continue until there are 6 buttered layers. Place half of the asparagus mixture along one short end, tuck ends in and roll up jelly-roll fashion. Place on a buttered baking sheet.
Make second strudel with remaining phyllo, butter and filling, and place on same baking sheet.
Brush rolls with any remaining butter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden. Cool lightly and slice into 2-inch pieces. Serve as appetizer with fresh tomato coulis.

Serves: 8

5 ounces butter
8 ounces leeks ( white part), chopped
5 ounces flour
2 1/2 quarts water
1 pound cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 pound veal bones
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk

• preparation

In a soup pot, melt butter and add he leeks. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add the flour and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the water.
Add the cauliflower and veal bones. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Combine the egg yolks with the heavy cream. Boil the milk and whisk into the egg yolk mixture. Strain.
Skim the butter off the top of the soup.
Remove the bones, puree and strain soup.
Add the egg yolk and milk mixture, mix well and season.
For garnish add cooked small bunches of cauliflower and chopped chervil leaves.

Serves: 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 medium leek, white part only, trimmed, thinly sliced, washed and dried
2 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes
10 ounces celery root, peeled and cut into cubes
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of celery salt
3/4 pound peeled fresh chestnuts from 1 ¼ pounds chestnuts in shells, or 3/4 pound dry-packed bottled or vacuum-sealed peeled fresh chestnuts
2 quarts homemade unsalted chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream

• preparation

1) Heat the oil in a stockpot or large casserole over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, apples, celery root, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the onions and leeks are soft but not colored. Add the chestnuts and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, skimming the surface regularly, 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chestnuts can be mashed easily with a fork. Add the heavy cream and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more, then discard the bay leaf and thyme.

2) Purée the soup until smooth using a blender, food processor or hand-held immersion blender, then pass it through a fine-mesh strainer. At this point, you should have about 2 quarts of soup. If you have more, or if you think the soup is too thin – the soup should have the consistency of a velouté or light cream soup – simmer it over medium heat until thickened. Taste and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning. (The soup can be cooled completely and stored in a covered jar in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. Bring the soup back to a boil before serving.)

3) Place a few chestnuts in a pan and let cook on a medium heat. Add some soup (about 2 tablespoons) and let the mixture cook with the chestnuts (about 5 minutes). Top the soup with the chestnuts and serve hot

Serves: 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 chicken, about 3 pounds, cut into serving pieces
6 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium-size onion, peeled and quartered
4 small carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths
8 small new potatoes, halved
4 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped Italian parsley

• preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Place the chicken broth, coriander seeds and garlic in the pot and bring to the boil. Add the chicken, lower the heat, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Add the onion, carrots, potatoes, leeks and 1 teaspoon of salt, partially cover and simmer until the chicken and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Divide the chicken and vegetables among four large bowls, ladle the broth over them

Serves: 6

3 tbsp butter
2 cups thinly leek (only white/lighter part)
1 medium carrot, diced
3 medium potatoes, diced
5 cups fish stock
1 lb salmon fillet, skinned and boned, cut into cubes
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dill, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

• preparation

Melt the butter in a medium soup pot.
Add thinly sliced leek. Cook until slightly soft.
Add carrot and potatoes. Mix.
Add fish stock. Cover pot with a lid, adjust heat to medium-high, and bring to
a boil.
Adjust heat back to medium-low and simmer soup until vegetables are almost
cooked.
Add salmon cubes and heavy cream. Mix to combine.
Turn the heat back to medium. Cover with a lid and continue cooking for 4 to
5 minutes.
Season by adding salt and pepper. Mix.
Add dill and turn heat off.
Cover with a lid and keep covered for 2 minutes.
Transfer to individual soup plates.
Garnish the soup with more freshly chopped dills, if desired.
Serve hot.

Serves: 4

6 3-oz lobster tails
2 tablespoons (30 mL) butter
4 cups (1 L) leeks, sliced (white and light green portion only)
1 cup (250 mL) fennel, finely sliced
1 teaspoon (5 mL) garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt
¼ cup (60 mL) white wine
2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) tarragon, chopped
12 oz (350 grams) linguine

• preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Remove lobster from shells and clean. Pat dry and place on a baking sheet. Bake until opaque, about 7 min. Remove from oven and reserve.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks, fennel and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until very tender, 10 to 12 min. Pour in wine and cook until evaporated. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened but still saucy, about 5 min. Remove saucepan from heat.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook linguine until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Scoop ½ cup (125ml) cooking water from the pot and reserve. Drain pasta.

4. Return saucepan to burner over medium heat. Stir in tarragon. Add linguine and stir well to coat. Add cooking water by the tablespoon to help the sauce coat the noodles. Add enough to make it very creamy.

5. Chop four lobster tails into bite-sized pieces and toss with the linguine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among bowls.

6. Slice remaining lobster and place over the pasta. Garnish with more tarragon if desired.

Serves: 6

1 small leg of lamb (about 3 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt marinade (see below)
4 ounces lean fat back, diced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups beef bouillon
1 ounce butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup red wine (preferably Pinot noir or Burgundy)
1 ounce flour

For marinade:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped leeks
1 teaspoon black or white peppercorns
1 teaspoon juniper berries
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
1 sprig fresh rosemary

• preparation

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large plastic or non reactive container.
Trim the leg of lamb, remove the shank bone and rub with salt. Immerse in the marinade, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
Turn the lamb once or twice to distribute marinade.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cover the bottom of a cast iron stew pot with the fat back. Lay on the fat back, together with lemon zest, marinade, and bouillon.
Cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour, and whisk to make a roux.
Cook over medium heat to brown lightly. Allow to cool. Add red wine to roux and add to lamb. Mix to combine with all ingredients. Continue cooking lamb in oven for 20 minutes or until meat is tender.
Transfer lamb to serving platter. Cover and keep warm.
Add cream to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce through a china cab.
Slice lamb and arrange on a serving platter. Pour some sauce over. Serve remaining separately.
Oven brown potatoes are usually served with the dish.

Serves: 1

for the weekend Ingredients
2 pounds leeks

• preparation

1. Clean the leeks and rinse well to get rid of sand and soil. Cut off the ends of the dark green parts, leaving all the white parts plus a suggestion of pale green. (Reserve the extra greens for soup stock.)
2. Put the leeks in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Pour off the liquid and reserve. Place the leeks in a bowl.
The juice is to be drunk (reheated or at room temperature to taste) every 2 to 3 hours, 1 cup at a time. For meals, or whenever hungry, have some of the leeks themselves, 1/2 cup at a time. Drizzle with a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season sparingly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you wish.
This will be your nourishment for both days, until Sunday dinner, when you can have a small piece of meat or fish (4 to 6 ounces -- don't lose that scale yet!), with 2 vegetables, steamed with a bit of butter or olive oil, and a piece of fruit.

Serves: 4

2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks, washed and thinly sliced
4 dozens mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 cup dry white wine
8 parsley sprigs
10 saffron threads, crushed
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

• preparation

Melt butter in large heavy deep skillet. Add leeks and saute until tender.
Combine mussels, wine and parsley sprigs in Dutch oven. Cover and cook over high heat until mussels open. Transfer mussels to a bowl, discarding any that do not open.
Strain mussel juice into skillet containing leeks. Add saffron and cream; boil until reduced to sauce consistency. Stir in minced parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Add mussels and any remaining juices to skillet. Stir and heat through.

Serves: 12

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
3 medium leeks
1 small fennel bulb
3 carrots
1 stick of celery
3 courgettes
2 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 fresh bay leaves
250 g baby green beans
1 x 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 x 400 g tin of cannellini beans
1 x 400 g tin of borlotti beans
70 g small macaroni

PISTOU SAUCE
5 cloves of garlic
6 sprigs of fresh basil
60 g Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• preparation

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, then trim and slice the leek. Chip and chop the fennel, carrots, celery and courgettes, then pick and roughly chop the parsley leaves.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic and leek for 5 minutes.
Add the other chopped ingredients, the bay, green beans and chopped tomatoes. Drain and add the beans. Cover with water, season and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Add the pasta and simmer until cooked, adding water if the soup is too thick.
For the pistou sauce, peel and add the garlic to a pestle and mortar, pick in the basil leaves and add some sea salt. Pound until puréed, then finely grate in the Parmesan and muddle in the extra virgin olive oil to make a paste.
Serve the soup with a dollop of pistou.

The pistou sauce can also be made in a food processor or blender,

Serves: 6

1 pound leek, white part only
3 ounces butter
3 quarts chicken broth
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
2 ounces butter
1 cup croutons

• preparation

Wash and mince leeks. Heat butter in a large frying pan. Add leeks and sauté over low heat. Do not color.
In a large saucepan, combine leeks, chicken broth, and potatoes. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Serve hot with croutons.

Serves: 6

1/3 cup spelt
1/3 cup pearl barley
1/3 dark green lentils
3 leeks, white portion only
2 carrots, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 t. of fresh or dry thyme
1 head of garlic, all the cloves peeled
1 28 oz. can of tomatoes/or your own canned tomatoes,chopped
Sea salt
Olive oil

• preparation

Rinse your grains and lentils off in a fine colander, set aside.

Put about a tablespoon of olive oil, about 1 teaspoon of sea salt, the herbs, leeks or onions, and carrots in a heavy bottomed soup pot. Turn the heat on fairly low and cook them covered for about five minutes, so they soften but don’t brown. This is called sweating.

Add the whole can of tomatoes, juice and all, then add about 5 cups of water. Bring this to a simmer.

Add the grains, lentils and all those garlic cloves (The garlic cloves are the secret weapon! If you or your family is garlic shy, don’t worry, the soup doesn’t taste very garlicky when it’s done.)

Simmer covered until the grains are tender, about 45 minutes, depending on the grains. Add more water if necessary, to keep it at the thickness you prefer.

Test for seasoning. Add some fresh ground pepper, and serve in bowls drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Don’t skip the olive oil swirl. It really makes it, somehow.

It’s that easy, and that good. I usually double this recipe for leftovers.

Note re: leftovers: The grains soak up all the liquid when the soup is sitting in the fridge, leaving the soup a semi-solid mass–so you’ll have to add a good deal of water when you go to reheat. This doesn’t effect flavor at all. It’s an excellent leftover type soup.

Serves: 6

1 pound grouper, cod, or halibut fillet
2 teaspoons saffron
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Aromat seasoning
2 medium chopped shallots
1 small diced white leek
1 large minced garlic clove
1 14 ounce can tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 quarts fish stock
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning
4 ounces roux
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
croutons

• preparation

Cut the grouper or halibut fillet into small cubes. Season with1/2 of the saffron, 1/2 of the olive oil, and Aromat seasoning.
Pour the remaining olive oil in a heavy bottom soup pot. Add shallots, leek, and garlic and sauté over low heat. Stir in the remaining saffron and the chopped tomatoes. Add the wine, fish stock, and sea food seasoning.
Whisk in the roux to slightly thicken the soup. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce.
A few minutes before serving, add diced grouper. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes. Serve in soup plates or cups with croutons.

Serves: 8

6 to 8 leaves of chard
2 tbsp butter
3 cups sliced leeks, white and light green portions only
½ cup (125 mL) cream
6 cups spinach
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 oz (250 g) scallops, chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground ginger
Pinch cayenne
1 tsp cinnamon
2 pieces (1½ lbs/750 g each) skinned salmon, preferably centre cut
1 pkg (450 g) pre-rolled puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten

ARUGULA HOLLANDAISE
½ cup (125 mL) butter
2 egg yolks
11/2 cups (375 mL) packed baby arugula
1/4 cup (60 mL) Greek yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper

• preparation

1 Bring a pot of water to a boil and immerse chard leaves. Boil for 1 minute, then drain. Refresh with cold water and drain again. Dry leaves with a paper towel. Remove and discard stems.

2 Heat butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft but not brown, about 6 minutes. Add cream and simmer until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 2 more minutes or until spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in scallops. Cool to room temperature.

3 Combine paprika, ginger, cayenne and cinnamon. Season both sides of salmon with salt, then sprinkle with spice mixture.

4 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

5 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place one 10-inch (25 cm) square piece of puff pastry on a lined baking sheet. Arrange 3 pieces of chard in center of pastry, leaving a 1/2 inch (1 cm) border. Brush edges with egg wash. Sprinkle chard with salt.

6 Place 1 piece of salmon on chard. Spread scallop mixture evenly over salmon. Top with second portion of salmon. Lay remaining chard leaves over fish, tucking in around the edges to wrap.

7 Roll second portion of pastry into a larger square, about 12 inches (30 cm). Lay over top, enclosing salmon. Cut away any excess pastry and pinch pastry edges to form a package. Brush with remaining egg wash and cut slits into top of pastry.

8 Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and salmon is cooked.

9 For Hollandaise, place butter in pot on medium heat and bring to boil. Meanwhile, place egg yolks, arugula and yogurt in food processor. Process until well combined. Pour bubbling butter slowly down through feeder tube while machine runs, scraping down the sides. Sauce will thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Serves: 4

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium leeks (light-green and white parts only), halved and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (10 cups)
10 medium cloves garlic, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup lower-salt chicken broth
12 oz. dried spaghetti
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 oz. grated Pecorino Romano (1/3 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• preparation

Heat the butter and oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the butter has melted.
Add the leeks, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring often, until the leeks begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and press a 12-inch round piece of parchment over the leek mixture to cover completely.
Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are very soft but not falling apart and the garlic is very soft, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Uncover the skillet and remove the parchment.
Add the cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and toss. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Serves: 6

6 Tbsp butter or olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts
2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots
1½ cups chopped yellow onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 lb dried green split peas
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 smoked ham hock
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 fresh thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen twine
2 large bay leaves
12 oz smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced diagonally into ¼-inch-thick pieces
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish

• preparation

Heat ¼ cup of the butter oroil in a large ot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add leeks, carrots and onion; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in peas to coat; cook 1 minute. Add stock, 2 cups water, ham hock, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally, or until peas are very tender and falling apart. (Stir bottom of the pot to be sure soup doesn’t stick.)
Discard thyme, bay leaves and ham hock. Transfer 2 cups soup to a food processor fitted with a steel blade; puree. Return puree to pot. Stir in more stock or water if soup is too thick.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp butter or oil in a medium saute pan over medium. Add sausage; cook 5–6 minutes or until browned, tossing occasionally. Serve soup garnished with sausage and parsley.

Serves: 6

1- 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped fennel
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock
1 pound thin asparagus
5 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas
5 ounces fava beans
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

• preparation

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas and fresh fava beans, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. set aside off the heat for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

Serves: 6

3 medium leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Fine sea salt
One 14-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes, crushed, juices reserved
6 cups cold water
1 head of garlic, separated into peeled cloves
1/3 cup spelt
1/3 cup dark green lentils
1/3 cup barley
Freshly ground pepper

• preparation

In a 4-quart enameled cast-iron casserole, combine the leeks, carrots, olive oil, bay leaves, thyme and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the water and garlic and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Add the rice, lentils and wheat berries, cover and simmer over low heat until the grains are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Thin with water if needed. Discard the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves: 4

3 medium beets, (3/4 lb), trimmed and scrubbed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
To taste salt and ground black pepper
1 leek, white part only
1 cup canola oil
4 slices Italian bread, cut diagonally
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

• preparation

Wash beets. Place in a saucepan, cover with water and cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutesor until tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, slide the peel off by hand, and slice into small wedges. Place in a medium bowl. Season with oil, vinegar, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside and cover.
Cut leek crosswise about 3-inch long. Slice lengthwise into thin strips. Wash in cold water and dry. Heat the oil in a cast iron pan over moderate heat. The oil should not be too hot. Fry the leeks until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Set aside. Can be made a day ahead, and kept in an air tight container.
Toast the bread until golden. Spread each toast with Gorgonzola. Top with 2 to 3 slices of beet mixture, and a few more on the plate. Sprinkle leeks on top, and serve at once.

Serves: 8

16 small leeks, white and light green parts only washed well
1 teaspoon salt
ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the leeks and blanch until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
Place leeks in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and dot with butter.
Pour the cream over top. Bake for 25 minutes (can be made ahead up to this point and reheated.) Just before serving, preheat broiler and brown the leeks under the broiler. Serve.

Serves: 6

1- 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped fennel
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock
1 pound thin asparagus
5 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas
5 ounces fava beans
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

• preparation

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas and fresh fava beans, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. set aside off the heat for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.