Spring Leeks are in Season at the Market

This time of year you’ll find lovely bushels of leeks, their vibrant green color a reminder of spring’s approach. 

At the Mill Valley Farmers Market this week, you’ll find grassy green bundles of leeks, so “new-green” they look like spring itself. Leeks are delicious for cooking in dishes from Asian sautees to savory baked goods (see this killer Leek, Bacon and Cheddar Scone recipe below), and they have a milder flavor compared their relatives the onion and garlic.

Leeks look like giant green onions but only the white part is tender and edible, while the green part, the leaf sheath, is fibrous and tough. The white part of the leek grows underground, with farmers often building mounds of dirt around the plants to promote more growth, but this causes leeks to be full of dirt and grit so wash them carefully before eating. Leeks are packed with important vitamins, including potassium and folate. They also may help lower cholesterol. After washing, slice leeks thinly crosswise for sautéeing or cut them lengthwise for grilling. 

March is a fine time for leeks. In fact in Wales, townspeople decorate themselves in daffodils and leeks for St. David’s day, which falls on the first of March and is the feast day of the Patron Saint of Wales. Fittingly, the leek is the national symbol of Wales and legend has it that little known King Cadwaladr ordered his soldiers to identify themselves in an ancient battle against the Saxons by fastening leeks to their helmets. Whether this is actually true or not, the symbolism has propelled their popularity in Wales even though they had been neglected for centuries by the rest of Britain. 

Check out this scrumptious recipe for leek scones with cheddar and bacon. Everything’s better with bacon, right? I recommend the fabulous bacon that you can find at the Fallon Hills Ranch booth at the Mill Valley Farmers Market. 

Bacon, Leek and Cheddar Scones

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup chopped leeks
• 4 rashers of bacon
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.

Cook bacon until it is slightly crispy.  Remove bacon from the pan, drain the fat and use some excess bacon fat for sauteeing the leeks.  Sautee leeks adding fresh cracked pepper. Cook the leeks until they are soft and slightly translucent.  Set aside to cool.

In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  

Add the cold butter to the flour mixture, and using your fingertips blend until a coarse crumb forms.  Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.  

Coarsely chop the bacon and add it to the scone mixture, along with the leeks and a 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese.  Gently fold in all the ingredients and turn out the dough onto a well floured surface.  

Pat the dough into a 1/2 inch thick round and cut out 6 circles.  Place on the baking pan and sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned on the tops and bottoms.

* Recipe adapted from The Baker’s Daughter.

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