Post written pre-retirement in our hometown of New York City.
A platter of roasted vegetables can certainly light up a dinner table! The farmer’s market at Union Square in Manhattan was bulging with the summer harvest from nearby New Jersey, Pennsylvania and upstate New York farms. You can still see the dirt on some of the squashes, beets and carrots. The leeks were just the right size. The outer leaves were dark green, the inner leaves was the most beautiful light green and the stalks were bright and white. Of all the vegetables on the platter in the photo which required only washing and chopping, the leeks required some preparation.
To clean the leeks, remove the roots, if any, from the stalks. Take a sharp knife cut them in half lengthwise. Take each half and gently fan out the leaves – you’ll often find dirt hidden inside them. Rinse under cold water to remove any dirt or debris. After you wash the leeks, poach them in some salted water and a tablespoon of butter for about 10 – 12 minutes. Remove them from the pan and place on a paper towel to absorb the water. If you don’t poach the leeks, it will be fibrous and inedible.
The rest of the vegetables are easy to prepare. Cut up a variety of vegetables – we used carrots, beets and radishes in this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Place the vegetables, including the poached leeks, on a baking tray (lined with silicone) if not, foil will do, and spray them with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper. (You should buy a spray bottle and fill it with olive oil – it’s really convenient.) Roast the vegetables at 375 degrees Fahrenheit in a convection oven if you have one, if not, just roast them at 400 degrees. Or, grill them if you have an outdoor or indoor grill. Roasting time is about half hour in the oven.
We included some photos below, but you can view them in this short video as well by clicking on this link:
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