Potato-Leek Vinaigrette with red bell peppers

11 Nov '01

Posted by: ryan in: Food

Last night’s successful new recipe came from Sundays at Moosewood in their “New England” section. It was Potato-Leek Vinaigrette with red bell peppers. And wow, was it good. It was listed as a main dish and worked well as such, but I can picture it as the perfect side dish to a hearty stew, too.

It starts with leeks sliced and boiled for five minutes combined with cubed potatoes (I used white potatoes, a variety I hadn’t tried before that are supposed to be good for boiling, similar to red potatoes) and a sliced red bell pepper. I used extra virgin olive oil instead of standard vegetable oil for the vinaigrette dressing (making it tastier and healthier), which also called for fresh dill (I used dried), vinegar (I used standard white), garlic, salt, and pepper. Preparation and cooking were easy, just remember to leave time for the dish to chill before serving.

The recipe is (obviously) vegan and was quite satisfying. I’m already thinking about leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

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5 Responses

Jen
12|Nov|2001 1

What do leeks taste like? I alway imagine that they are going to taste like big, bitter scallions. My grocery now carries them on a regular basis, but I’ve been a little wary of buying them because I don’t know what they’re like.
Ryan
12|Nov|2001 2

Leeks taste kind of like scallions… I’ve really grown to like their flavor. If you can buy them by the stalk, buy one and use it as part of a stir fry (just the white and light green parts) to see if you like it…
Jen
12|Nov|2001 3

Thanks for the tip. I probably wouldn’t have known not to use the dark green part. I’ll pick up a stalk next time I’m shopping and give it a try!
Ryan
13|Nov|2001 4

Also: make sure you wash them very well. There’s a lot of dirt that gets caught inside leeks… here’s how to clean leeks effectively: “To clean leek, trim off bruised green leaves and roots; discard. Cut leek lengthwise in half, and rinse under cold running water, spreading the leaves to remove all dirt.”
Terri Barr-Marks
25|Nov|2001 5

Ryan,

There are a number of Moosewood cookbooks and they have excellent yummy recipes. Some veggie-based cookbooks seem to just put nutritious things together, but the end result isn’t so tasty. And - as for leeks, they also make for good soup or quiche. Also, if you’re interested, during the spring-summer-fall, there is a very nice person who sells free-range, happy chicken eggs at markets in Leesburg and Sterling.