Buttery Braised Leeks
Accented with just a squeeze of lemon, these sublime leeks are a worthy side dish.
Ingredients:
2 leeks, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Juice of ½ lemon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Melt butter and olive oil over a medium-high flame in a large sauté pan.
2. Once the oil and butter are hot, place the leeks cut side down into the pan. Let the leeks brown in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip the leeks over and turn the heat on low. Cover and let the leeks braise for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the leeks are soft all the way through.
3. Take the leeks off the heat and squirt the lemon juice over the braised leeks and add salt and pepper to taste.
Home for the Holidays Recipes
‘Tis the season for family and friends to gather around and celebrate the most magical time of year—allow us to lend a helping hand with any soirée you might have planned with an array of accoutrements that range from farm-fresh eggs and a full lineup of delights from our in-house creamery to cranberry chutney, Spanish manzanilla olives, gingerbread cookies and fresh produce like mini Butternut squash, Treviso radicchio, Belgian endive and mixed orchard apples. Plus, you’ll find all the fixings for a company-worthy meal: Salish Sea-caught halibut to roast with garlic, white wine and vegetables, grattini pasta to serve alongside, and Gruyère cheese bread to toast and serve melty-warm. From our family to yours—happy holidays!
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Roasted Halibut with Fennel, Leeks & Garlic
Fragrant with roasted fennel and leeks, this incredibly elegant dish is sure to impress.
Fresh Radicchio, Fennel & Apple Salad
Tart, crunchy and crisp, this cool salad celebrates the classic combination of fennel and radicchio.
Roasted Endive with Walnut Vinaigrette
This warm side pairs beautifully with this week’s halibut.
Parmesan-Crusted Winter Squash
This versatile recipe works with any number of squash.
Broccolini with Vin Cotto
Coated in a balsamic vinegar glaze, this garlic-flecked broccolini makes for a warm, homey side dish.
Roasted Halibut with Fennel, Leeks & Garlic
Fragrant with roasted fennel and leeks, this incredibly elegant dish is sure to impress.
Ingredients:
2 medium fennel bulbs, cored and cut into ½ -inch thick slices
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and into 1/2 inch thick slices
10 garlic cloves, cut in half
1 pound filet of halibut, skin removed
4 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup white wine
Zest of 1 lemon, plus 3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Stir the leeks, fennel and garlic together with 2 tablespoons of oil, the white balsamic and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add half of the lemon zest, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, raisins and season with salt and pepper. Pour the vegetable mixture into a roasting pan and roast for about 15-20 minutes until veggies start to get tender.
2. In the meantime place the halibut, skin side up, in a baking dish with the white wine and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Let marinate in the refrigerator while the veggies are roasting. After about 15 minutes, pour off ¾ of the liquid, flip the fish to have the skin side down, rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with remaining red pepper flakes, lemon zest and salt and pepper.
3. Push the veggies aside to make space and place the fish in the oven to roast, moving the pan to the top rack. Roast for about 15 minutes until the fish is flaky and slightly opaque, and veggies are full cooked and caramelized. Stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, ½ tablespoon lemon juice and the fresh herbs. Spoon the veggies on to a serving platter, lay the fish on top and spoon the herb vinaigrette over top. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.
Variation: In lieu of the herb vinaigrette at the end, you could instead garnish the fish with a few pats of this week’s lemon-basil compound butter; delicious!
