It is so nice to be back home again! There is nothing like family, good food, and little black puppy dog noses sticking their noses up from under the table hoping for scraps. We aren't supposed to feed them, but how can you resist. I love to feed the dogs, especially Misty who takes things so gently on the tip of her tongue. Marley is much riskier to feed if you value your fingers....Anyway, I digress.
On the menu tonight was spaetzle, salmon, and caramelized leeks. It was a very springy meal to complement the nice weather we have had here. The salmon was cooked rubbed in a mixture of olive oil and soy sauce and then sprinkled with salt and pepper before it was placed on the grill. The leeks were so good, that I will include the recipe below. It is loosely based on a recipe from last year's march issue of Cooking Light, but I ended up changing it up a whole lot.
1) Take two leeks and cut off the roots and the dark green leaves. Then cut it in half longways so that you can properly rinse the grit out from between the layers. Then you cut 1/4 inch strips down the stalk to create a nice julienne.
2) Melt 1.5 tbs of butter in a deep skillet on medium heat. When it is melted, add about 1/2 tbs of olive oil.
3) Add leeks and let cook for about 3 minutes or until slightly wilted
4) Add a quarter cup of dry white wine (I used a Smoking Loon Chardonnay!) and let cook a few more minutes
5) Add two tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tsp salt (really to taste), and some pepper
6) Turn down heat and let continue to cook until the leeks begin to brown slightly
The People Who Ate It (Hooray, I finally remembered to take a picture!):
From the left: Brother Rob (19), Brother Jack (15), Mom Lisa, Grandmother Gene, and the dog is Blue who belongs to my grandparents. My dogs are suspiciously absent which is strange considering that there is food on the table!
