Giant Leeks vs Climate Change

I had to smile when I saw that Epicurious called for one "small leek" in its recipe for "Israeli Couscous, Peas, Preserved Lemons, Mint & Goat's Cheese," because the leeks I had on hand were not small.

They were humongous.

All the better for fighting climate change, which we're doing when we prioritize plant-based foods. Plant-based agriculture contributes a lot less to air pollution than animal agriculture, too, did you know that? So even the most diminutive leeks are doing us all a favor.

This was my first experience using preserved lemons, from a jar, and while they sounded good, I found them disappointing - salty, and bitter. Simple lemon zest and a squeeze of juice would probably have tasted better to me. The dish was fine. I substituted vegetable stock for half the water, and used only about one third of the salt called for in the recipe.

I put another of my super-sized leeks to use in a Vegan Vednesday dish: "Vegan Creamy Leek Pasta" (NYT Cooking; subscription required). The sauce is plenty good, but I love the fried leek topping so much that I could eat the stuff like candy.

I cook the leeks before the pasta, rather than cooking them together, because fishing out the leeks sounds like a pain. Also, I don't have the patience to fry the leeks in batches; I just throw them all in the oil at once and then when they're golden, I strain the oil directly into a blender that already contains the green leek parts and the pasta water. 

Served with Brussels sprouts

Until yesterday, I had not eaten at a restaurant since the Before Times, but yesterday was my wedding anniversary. Ten years! 

Remember last year's unusual celebration? This year we went traditional. My adorable husband reserved us an outdoor table at an Italian restaurant. The glory of the moment really hit me when a waiter brought us bread. A waiter! Just leaving a basket of freshly baked carbs at my table! I had not realized I had been missing that particular detail for fourteen months.