Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Leeks pie (tarte aux poireaux)

Yesterday, I opened my fridge and there were 12 leeks and 36 carrots ... or so ...

I use to buy vegetables each week to my little farmer and I have to admit one point : in winter, I begin to be fed up with some vegetables like leeks and carrots.

So when I see one of those two vegetables in my basket, they immediately find  a good place in the bottom of my fridge ! 
... And I forget them.

Until, they begin to knock at the door !

Sometimes, they are old, with a lot of inelegant hair, they can smell bad, and they are very aggressive ! 
I have to be very careful when I open my fridge's door ! 
I do it with a whip and a stool ! 
Nothing is more aggressive than an old leeks, at the point of death ...

... Yes... I live extraordinary adventures in my kitchen.

Well .. So, before this very painful step, I cook them, trying to always find a new way of accommodating them. 

Here what you'll need : 

  • pie crust
  • 4 leeks, only the white part
  • 4 eggs
  • 40 cl of half and half cream
  • Some butter and olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of nutmeg in powder
  • 1 tablespoon of white sugar (not obligatory)
  • 1 tablespoon of mild cheese, as gruyère (not obligatory).

Your oven must be preheat to 180°C (350° F / Th 6)


Step 1 : 
Cut your leeks in slices, rinse them carefully , then cut them again in small pieces.



Step 2 : 
In some olive oil and butter, let them become transparent for 10 minutes, on a low fire, with sugar, salt and pepper.


Step 3 : 
In a bowl, whisk eggs, cream and nutmeg. 



Step 4 : 
Then, on your unrolled pie crust, pour leeks and mixture. 


If you've got it, add your cheese. 


In your oven for 35 - 40 minutes.

Bon appétit ! 


Recapitulative : 
  • pie crust
  • 4 leeks, only the white part
  • 4 eggs
  • 40 cl of half and half cream
  • Some butter and olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of nutmeg in powder
  • 1 tablespoon of white sugar (not obligatory)
  • 1 tablespoon of mild cheese, as gruyère (not obligatory).
Your oven must be preheat to 180°C (350° F / Th 6)

Cut your leeks in slices, rinse them carefully , then cut them again in small pieces.

In some olive oil and butter, let them become transparent for 10 minutes, on a low fire, with sugar, salt and pepper.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, cream and nutmeg. 

Then, on your unrolled pie crust, pour leeks and mixture.

If you've got it, add your cheese. 
In your oven for 35 - 40 minutes.

16 comments:

  1. That looks delicious and so pretty, too! You are a delightful blog writer and your photographs make it easy to follow the recipe. Thank you! I have put you on my top sites, so I can see your new blogs. Fun! love and prayers, jep

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    Replies
    1. Dear Jep, thank you so much for your words ! You can't even imagine how it touches me. I hope you'll like to read this blog as much as I love to write it and to share recipes and fun with all of you :)
      Thank you for writing here :)

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  2. Ahhhhh it's exactly what I'm going to make today... with goat cheese :) I got the leeks and the cheese yesterday and I am super looking forward to it because I LOVE leek tarts!! Great minds think alike :)

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    Replies
    1. You're right ! In french, we say "les grands esprits se rencontrent", but I guess you know it :)
      What is goat cheese ? Is it like gruyère ?

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    2. Du fromage de chèvre frais, émiété :)

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  3. That looks so good, do you think I can make it with less aggressive vegetables?

    hah!

    RMW

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  4. Wish I could come over and have a slice! Looks delicious! And I was just thinking of making a quiche with leeks!
    And yes, I can relate to your carrots with "hair"! LOL! I feel guilty each time I find them in that condition! Hahaha!

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    Replies
    1. I understand ! And I feel guilty too ! Sometimes, I have to throw them away, then I feel really bad !

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  5. Dear Axelle-Do you know what food always goes bad in my refrigerator? Lettuce and spinach. Once they go there is no saving them. This looks delicious and I've never made a leek pie before. I will now! Regards-Jamie

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    Replies
    1. Dear Jamie, if you want I cook a spinach pie too !! Do you want me to post the recipe ?

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  6. P.S. A problem: I went to read about the little farmer and the pie crust. The stories are longer than the page so one has to scroll down to finish reading. Usually there is a black rectangle on the side of your pages and I left-click and drag it down. That's how I scroll. My mouse is old and won't scroll down by itself. Anyway, there is nothing to click on and drag so I can't scroll down. Any suggestion? I'm hanging in the stories.

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    Replies
    1. In reality, I think I'm going to change my template once again. This is what Blogger calls a reactive template, more modern than the regular ones. But I'm not totally happy with it. I think I'm going to come back to the old template.
      I'm sorry for your problem, Jamie.
      Does it prevent you to cook the pie ?

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    2. No. It just prevents me from finishing a couple of great stories! I would certainly appreciate your recipe for spinach pie. I could sneak my old lettuce in with the spinach. Or maybe not. Anyway, please share the recipe. In the meantime, I am going to buy some leeks.
      I did think the other template was easier to use. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" we Americans say.

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    3. I'm going to post the spinach pie :)
      Yes, you're right, maybe the previous template was easier. My husband tells me to wait until june, to change it again. As I'm a good wife (...!), for once, I'm going to listen to him :D
      I love your sentence, so logical and true !! :)

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  7. I need to get in the habit of using more leeks. This pie looks wonderful Axelle.

    ReplyDelete