Leeks

In article <[email hidden]>, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Veggies are grown in dirt. Why does that scare people?

I missed the part where anyone sounded scared. I just find really dirty
store-bought produce damned inconvenient, likely because it is often
so expensive. For that price they can damned well wash the stuff.

It would double in price most likely.
Produce is a fraction of the price of meat.

Meat gets a LOT more handling.

Sorry, but I can wash it myself, thanks!

When I eat more veggies, my grocery bill goes down.

Leeks have to be taken apart to wash them properly.
It's in the nature of the beast.

Easiest solution? Don't eat leeks.

I personally think they are worth the effort and they are expensive
enough as it is.
--
Peace, Om

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"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

JoeSpareBedroom said:

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Veggies are grown in dirt. Why does that scare people?

I missed the part where anyone sounded scared. I just find really dirty
store-bought produce damned inconvenient, likely because it is often
so expensive. For that price they can damned well wash the stuff.

Um. No, washing is a bad idea for many vegetables, for reasons I taught you
earlier.

Reduces shelf life.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

Mark wrote on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:50:43 -0700:

MT> James Silverton wrote:
??>>
??>> In principle I am in favor of natural approaches to
??>> growing vegetables but today I made some Vichysoisse soup
??>> and I was reminded that leeks are perhaps the filthiest
??>> vegetables on sale. As usual, the leeks I bought were
??>> covered with soil, organic I hope! I wonder why this
??>> should be? Celery can also require careful cleaning but
??>> hardly ever as much as leeks.

MT> In leeks, the most prized part is the white part.
MT> To get as much white part as possible, dirt is
MT> piled up around the base of the plant as it grows,
MT> to shield it from sunlight. That's why so much
MT> dirt gets trapped inside the plant.

That blanching may be the reason why leeks are so filthy but
they are the dirtiest vegetable you can buy. Blanched celery is
made the same way and is nothing like as dirty. Saying as others
have done "Live with it!" is singularly unhelpful and
contributes nothing useful to a discussion that was only a
request for information. I do rinse all vegetables but nothing
else needs dismemberment and careful rinsing like leeks.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

"JoeSpareBedroom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Veggies are grown in dirt. Why does that scare people?

I missed the part where anyone sounded scared. I just find really dirty
store-bought produce damned inconvenient, likely because it is often
so expensive. For that price they can damned well wash the stuff.

Um. No, washing is a bad idea for many vegetables, for reasons I taught
you earlier.

--------but grocery stores have those spray thingies that wash ......or
perhaps just wet to keep fresh ? Not that I care, I love leeks and always
wash my veggies anyway.

No big deal......e.

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"JoeSpareBedroom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote
> Veggies are grown in dirt. Why does that scare people?

I missed the part where anyone sounded scared. I just find really dirty
store-bought produce damned inconvenient, likely because it is often
so expensive. For that price they can damned well wash the stuff.

Um. No, washing is a bad idea for many vegetables, for reasons I taught
you earlier.

--------but grocery stores have those spray thingies that wash ......or
perhaps just wet to keep fresh ? Not that I care, I love leeks and always
wash my veggies anyway.

No big deal......e.

Those spray things are not for washing.

In article <gZGAi.1$cA6.0@trnddc05>,

James Silverton said:

Mark wrote on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:50:43 -0700:

MT> James Silverton wrote:
??>>
??>> In principle I am in favor of natural approaches to
??>> growing vegetables but today I made some Vichysoisse soup
??>> and I was reminded that leeks are perhaps the filthiest
??>> vegetables on sale. As usual, the leeks I bought were
??>> covered with soil, organic I hope! I wonder why this
??>> should be? Celery can also require careful cleaning but
??>> hardly ever as much as leeks.

MT> In leeks, the most prized part is the white part.
MT> To get as much white part as possible, dirt is
MT> piled up around the base of the plant as it grows,
MT> to shield it from sunlight. That's why so much
MT> dirt gets trapped inside the plant.

That blanching may be the reason why leeks are so filthy but
they are the dirtiest vegetable you can buy. Blanched celery is
made the same way and is nothing like as dirty. Saying as others
have done "Live with it!" is singularly unhelpful and
contributes nothing useful to a discussion that was only a
request for information. I do rinse all vegetables but nothing
else needs dismemberment and careful rinsing like leeks.

James Silverton

Other than avoiding leeks, I don't see any other solution.
I have to wash celery too to avoid eating sand.

Spinach is so bad, I tend to avoid it and buy the baby bagged.

I can wash leeks and celery. Spinach is a pain in the ass and I can
never get all the sand out of it.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

Omelet said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Janet B. said:

We had a customer once that requested that we plant the large pots on her
deck. I inquired if she would like some vegetables included in the
plantings -- tomatoes, parsley, eggplant and the like. She gave me a
horrified look and declared that she didn't eat anything that was grown in
dirt. I still shake my head over that one. I don't know what would make
organic any more attractive than regular fertilizer. Organic is composted
vegetation and animal poo -- how is the thought of that more attractive?
Janet

<lol>

There are always hydroponics...

if you want to pay the price.

I sometimes purchase heads of Hydroponic Boston Butter lettuce from HEB
for $2.99 per head.

BUT, that head is 3 times the size of a normal Boston Butter head and
still has the roots attached. I've had it last (crisp and fresh) for 3
weeks if I kept water in the root well that comes with the packaging so
it's been worth it. :-)

I'll have to take jpegs next time I get one.

Also, it's more common for the entire head of hydroponically-grown
lettuce to be usable; for most other Boston lettuce, the outermost
leaves are usually so badly damaged as to render them unusable, so
chances are the waste on those cancels out the higher price of the
hydroponic variety.

James Silverton said:

Mark wrote on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:50:43 -0700:

MT> James Silverton wrote:
??>>
??>> In principle I am in favor of natural approaches to
??>> growing vegetables but today I made some Vichysoisse soup
??>> and I was reminded that leeks are perhaps the filthiest
??>> vegetables on sale. As usual, the leeks I bought were
??>> covered with soil, organic I hope! I wonder why this
??>> should be? Celery can also require careful cleaning but
??>> hardly ever as much as leeks.

MT> In leeks, the most prized part is the white part.
MT> To get as much white part as possible, dirt is
MT> piled up around the base of the plant as it grows,
MT> to shield it from sunlight. That's why so much
MT> dirt gets trapped inside the plant.

That blanching may be the reason why leeks are so filthy but they are
the dirtiest vegetable you can buy. Blanched celery is made the same way
and is nothing like as dirty. Saying as others have done "Live with it!"
is singularly unhelpful and contributes nothing useful to a discussion
that was only a request for information. I do rinse all vegetables but
nothing else needs dismemberment and careful rinsing like leeks.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Celery doesn't grow as tightly as do leeks, which is probably why
blanched celery still isn't as dirty as leeks, despite being grown in
the same fashion.

In article <[email hidden]>,

flitterbit said:

Quoted message said:

There are always hydroponics...

if you want to pay the price.

I sometimes purchase heads of Hydroponic Boston Butter lettuce from HEB
for $2.99 per head.

BUT, that head is 3 times the size of a normal Boston Butter head and
still has the roots attached. I've had it last (crisp and fresh) for 3
weeks if I kept water in the root well that comes with the packaging so
it's been worth it. :-)

I'll have to take jpegs next time I get one.

Also, it's more common for the entire head of hydroponically-grown
lettuce to be usable; for most other Boston lettuce, the outermost
leaves are usually so badly damaged as to render them unusable, so
chances are the waste on those cancels out the higher price of the
hydroponic variety.

Ooh I've always been able to use ALL of the leaves from a hydroponic
head. They get special packaging. Hard plastic packaging with the water
well for the roots. And it protects the outer leaves for eating.

They are packaged in a cube case, not in cellophane.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

flitterbit said:

Quoted message said:

There are always hydroponics...

if you want to pay the price.

I sometimes purchase heads of Hydroponic Boston Butter lettuce from HEB
for $2.99 per head.

BUT, that head is 3 times the size of a normal Boston Butter head and
still has the roots attached. I've had it last (crisp and fresh) for 3
weeks if I kept water in the root well that comes with the packaging so
it's been worth it. :-)

I'll have to take jpegs next time I get one.

Also, it's more common for the entire head of hydroponically-grown
lettuce to be usable; for most other Boston lettuce, the outermost
leaves are usually so badly damaged as to render them unusable, so
chances are the waste on those cancels out the higher price of the
hydroponic variety.

Ooh I've always been able to use ALL of the leaves from a hydroponic
head. They get special packaging. Hard plastic packaging with the water
well for the roots. And it protects the outer leaves for eating.

They are packaged in a cube case, not in cellophane.
--
Peace, Om

Wow. What an outdated and totally wasteful use of packaging.

James Silverton said:

In principle I am in favor of natural approaches to growing
vegetables but today I made some Vichysoisse soup and I was
reminded that leeks are perhaps the filthiest vegetables on
sale. As usual, the leeks I bought were covered with soil,
organic I hope! I wonder why this should be? Celery can also
require careful cleaning but hardly ever as much as leeks.

Many people have said all this about leeks and celery on this newsgroup
over the years, and yet every time I am surprised. Here in Germany,
both leeks and celery are among the cleanest vegetables imaginable and
never require more than a simple, short rinse. I have yet to detect any
visible dirt on either vegetable, except, very occasionally, for a bit
of sand in the centre part where the stem connects to the leaves.
Cleaning them is never a problem - cut off the root, cut off most of the
green part. What is left is a solid stem. Give it a quick rinse and
chop it up... that's all.

No matter where I buy vegetables here, they are generally very clean,
but leeks and celery are particularly so.

Victor

In article <[email hidden]>,

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Quoted message said:

Ooh I've always been able to use ALL of the leaves from a hydroponic
head. They get special packaging. Hard plastic packaging with the water
well for the roots. And it protects the outer leaves for eating.

They are packaged in a cube case, not in cellophane.
--
Peace, Om

Wow. What an outdated and totally wasteful use of packaging.

Perhaps. but it works for a $2.99 head of lettuce.

Most are around $.99.

And the root well DRASTICally increases it's shelf life if you take care
of the still living head of lettuce. ;-d

Talk about fresh produce...
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Quoted message said:

Ooh I've always been able to use ALL of the leaves from a hydroponic
head. They get special packaging. Hard plastic packaging with the water
well for the roots. And it protects the outer leaves for eating.

They are packaged in a cube case, not in cellophane.
--
Peace, Om

Wow. What an outdated and totally wasteful use of packaging.

Perhaps. but it works for a $2.99 head of lettuce.

Most are around $.99.

And the root well DRASTICally increases it's shelf life if you take care
of the still living head of lettuce. ;-d

Talk about fresh produce...
--
Peace, Om

Sorry, but there's no possible way to justify the use of hard plastic for a
head of lettuce.

"Giusi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"James Silverton" <[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:3eEAi.30318$Bv1.4712@trnddc06...

Quoted message said:

Hello, All!

In principle I am in favor of natural approaches to growing vegetables
but today I made some Vichysoisse soup and I was reminded that leeks are
perhaps the filthiest vegetables on sale. As usual, the leeks I bought
were covered with soil, organic I hope! I wonder why this should be?
Celery can also require careful cleaning but hardly ever as much as
leeks.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Leeks here are not as dirty as they were in the US, and I don't know why.
It does show that they don't have to be dirty. I am a leek lover for sure
and have worked with them a lot. I tell my students if they are very
dirty and the recipe will work this way, cut them into rings and dump them
into a big bowl of salted water. Use your hands like a washing machine to
agititate them, let the dirt settle, then lift them up out of the water
into a colander. Repeat as necessary.

Bath always, as showers don't work. Salt seems to work a bit like soap to
loosen the dirt.

Rachel Ray cleans her leeks this way, too; I learned it from her. What I'd
like to know how to do is to clean them enough to braise them whole. I've
done this once or twice without grit. I cut the side a little, but it
doesn't always work.
Dee Dee

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Veggies are grown in dirt. Why does that scare people?
--
Peace, Om

Guess one has to decide what type of fertilizer is used -- is it possible to
tell?
Dee Dee

Quoted message said:

The easiest way to wash leeks:

Quoted message said:

Make a slit lengthwise through the white parts of the leek but do not
cut all the way through
Rinse the leeks under running water, separating the leaves starting
from the out parts to the inner parts, just sliding your finger along
to loosen the dirt.
This way all of the dirt will come out and you can now use the leeks
the way you want.

I agree. Just to add some to this description, before washing
I make one or two slits which start about 1/2 inch from the root end
of the leek, and go lengthwise to the green end of the leek.

This works nicely because the leeks are still whole in appearance
(the unslit root end holds them together) which helps their
presentation.

I simmer leeks in water to which small amounts of vegetable broth,
hydrolyzed vegetable protein and black pepper have been added.
Using chicken broth is commonplace but for whatever reasons I
find this completely unappetizing.

Steve

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Veggies are grown in dirt. Why does that scare people?

I missed the part where anyone sounded scared. I just find really dirty
store-bought produce damned inconvenient, likely because it is often
so expensive. For that price they can damned well wash the stuff.

I won't mention the store that I was in that were unloading some pretty
darned nice looking greens - lots of them; of course the bucket was dirty
with black dirt. They were taking the greens out of the dark dirty water
and placing them nicely, arranging them, in the bins; and they looked nice
and shiny like they had just come from a sink full of clean, cool, clear
water.

After seeing that, I'm not sure of anything.
Dee Dee

"Omelet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I sometimes purchase heads of Hydroponic Boston Butter lettuce from HEB
for $2.99 per head.

BUT, that head is 3 times the size of a normal Boston Butter head and
still has the roots attached. I've had it last (crisp and fresh) for 3
weeks if I kept water in the root well that comes with the packaging so
it's been worth it. :-)

I'll have to take jpegs next time I get one.
--
Peace, Om

Here at Costco $2.99 for two heads. Very easy to just take off a leaf or
two for this or that. I wish I could remember to put water on the bottom.
One reason I like this idea is that you can see the bottom of its roots and
when they are all brown, -- pass!
Dee Dee

On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:46:50 +0000 (UTC), [email hidden]

(Steve Pope) said:

I simmer leeks in water to which small amounts of vegetable broth,

This is outstanding!

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Chicken Soup W/ Apples And Leeks

fruits, poultry, soups, vegetables

1 chicken, quartered
1 salt & pepper, to taste
2 tb butter
3 leeks, w/ 1 green, sliced
2 granny smith apples, peeled
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup vinegar
3 cup chicken stock
3 tb calvados
1/2 cup heavy cream

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt the butter over medium
heat in a saute pan just large enough to hold the chicken. Add the
chicken, skin side down, and cook for about eight minutes over medium
heat. If the butter in the pan starts to brown, lower the heat
slightly. Turn the chicken and light saute in the same way for five
minutes more.

Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in a bowl. If the
butter in the saute pan has burned, pour it out and replace it with
two tablespoons fresh butter. Add the leeks and cook them for 10
minutes over medium heat. Stir the leeks every couple of minutes.
They should be soft but not brown.

Put the chicken back in the pan with the leeks. Add the apples, apple
juice, vinegar and broth. Bring the liquids to a slow simmer and
with a ladle skim off any fat or froth that floats to the top. Cover
the pot and simmer the chicken very gently for 10 to 15 minutes,
until it is completely cooked.

Remove the chicken and let it cool. Remove and discard the skin and
pull the meat away from the bones. Cut the meat into half inch
chunks.

Use a ladle to skim off any fat that has formed on the surface of the
liquid in a saute pan. Add the Calvados and the heavy cream. Bring
to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat the
chunks of chicken in the soup for two minutes and serve immediately
in hot bowls.

Suggestions and variations: Try adding a cup of sliced mushrooms
along with the apples. The mushroom flavor goes well with the other
ingredients, and the mushrooms make the soup more substantial. This
soup is also delicious with curry, which can be added by gently
cooking a tb of curry powder in a tb of butter and
stirring it into the soup shortly before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.82 **

The Fine Art of Cooking involves personal choice.
Many preferences, ingredients, and procedures
may not be consistent with what you know to be true.

As with any recipe, you may find your personal
intervention will be necessary. Bon Appetit!

"James Silverton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:3eEAi.30318$Bv1.4712@trnddc06...

Quoted message said:

Hello, All!

In principle I am in favor of natural approaches to growing vegetables but
today I made some Vichysoisse soup and I was reminded that leeks are
perhaps the filthiest vegetables on sale. As usual, the leeks I bought
were covered with soil, organic I hope! I wonder why this should be?
Celery can also require careful cleaning but hardly ever as much as leeks.

I think the layers of leeks overlap more tightly so the dirty sinks down in.
Not sure though. Those baby red potatoes I had tonight could have given
your leeks a run for their money as far as being dirty. I buy leeks about
once every two years. And each time I remind myself that the dirt is the
reason I don't buy them more often.