Hello, my beautiful CSA family,
Let's learn a little bit about leeks.
LEEKS belongs to the Alliums, a unique family of plants widely used in traditional medicine and everyday food.
Even if you haven't heard the term "Allium" before, you're probably more familiar with these vegetables than you think. You often eat the most common: onions, garlic, green onions, and leek, of course.
Me? In my Hispanic traditions, I eat alliums daily. Cooking without onion, garlic, green onions, and leeks is impossible for me. I can not imagine making soup, beans, or salad without those beautiful and tasty flavors.
Alliums contain sulfur in the form of organosulfur compounds.
These compounds have widely known health benefits.
For instance, they have antioxidant, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.
They have also been shown to help prevent blood clots and be anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and potentially anti-aging.
5 Fabulous Health Benefits of Allium Vegetables:
In addition to their remarkable sulfuric compounds, Alliums provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, vitamin C, folate, potassium, selenium, and manganese.
Allium Veggies are rich in soluble fibers called fructans, which can help promote healthy gut bacteria. This is one reason members of this vegetable family are so potent at supporting a healthy microbiome.
There are many other excellent benefits of eating more Alliums. Let's unpeel some of these layers.
#1 — Alliums Have Antioxidant Power
The Allium family offers powerful antioxidants, such as quercetin, which can have applications in treating chronic diseases.
Quercetin can slow tumor growth and has been shown to be effective in colon cancer treatment. It may also reduce symptoms of bladder infections, help lower blood pressure, and promote prostate health. It's also a natural antihistamine.
Garlic, onions, leeks, and chives contain other flavonoids that promote the production of glutathione, known as "the mother of all antioxidants."
Glutathione is essential for every cell in your body. It boosts your immune system, protects your heart, and helps remove toxins.
#2 — Alliums Are Heart Healthy
Eating garlic and onions can be good for your heart. They are known to prevent blood clots, lower triglycerides, prevent plaque buildup in your arteries, and have antioxidant properties.
Garlic has been shown to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. Onions may also help to increase HDL ("good" cholesterol), especially when eaten raw.
A 2017 study in the Journal of Hypertension examined the relationship between frequent consumption of Allium vegetables and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. The researchers analyzed 3,052 adult men and women for six years, using food frequency questionnaires to evaluate their diet.
Even with adjustment for potential confounding variables, they found that those who consistently ate more Allium vegetables reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by a stunning 64%.
#3 — Alliums Have Antimicrobial Properties
Studies have shown that pure allicin (one of the compounds in garlic) can be effective against multidrug-resistant strains of E.coli, Candida albicans, and human intestinal parasites and viruses.
This is particularly interesting because—amidst a full-blown antibiotic resistance crisis—modern medicine is increasingly ineffective in the face of "superbugs." Instead, natural substances, such as allicin, appear to be coming to our rescue when pharmaceuticals can no longer.
A 2015 study conducted at a hospital in Western India showed that garlic juice was effective against E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus, two bacteria commonly found in hospital settings.
A mouthwash containing 10% garlic can significantly reduce oral bacteria. (Note: I don't recommend using this mouthwash before a date!)
#4 — Alliums Help Prevent Cancer
A 2011 meta-analysis published in the journal Gastroenterology found that people who ate large amounts of Alliums had a lower risk of gastric cancer.
The researchers reviewed outcomes from 21 Allium vegetables and gastric cancer studies conducted between 1966 and 2010, involving 543,220 participants. They concluded that high consumption of onion, garlic, leek, Chinese chive, scallion, and garlic stalk has a strong potential for cancer prevention.
Additional studies show the benefit of eating Alliums for other types of cancers:
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is a vast and ongoing study of people from 10 countries. It looks at the impact of nutrition on cancer. So far, it's found that those who eat more onion and garlic have a reduced risk of intestinal cancer.
A 1999 study of 234 adults shows that Alliums—particularly garlic, onions, scallions, and chives—reduce the risk of esophageal cancer when eaten at least once weekly.
Researchers in a 2002 study in China also found garlic and scallions especially promising in reducing men's prostate cancer risk.
A 2016 study published in the Journal of Breast Cancer found that eating a lot of garlic and leeks could reduce breast cancer risk.
(Allium vegetables are some of the top 10 cancer-fighting foods.)
#5 — Alliums Have Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Alliums are also great for reducing inflammation. This is one reason why they're said to have a potential for anti-aging effects.
The quercetin in onions can be therapeutic for inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and relieve painful joints.
South Korean researchers isolated thiocremonone, an organosulfur compound in garlic. They found that it displayed anti-inflammatory properties.
Heating garlic reduces its allicin activity and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that eating raw garlic offers more benefits.
Ok, let us go back to leeks:
Fun Fact:
Leeks have been the national symbol of Wales for centuries. One legend says that soldiers wore leeks in their helmets during a battle against the Saxons. March 1st is St. David's Day, a Welsh holiday celebrating the life of their patron saint. To this day, many Welsh people honor the occasion by wearing leeks.
Some tips:
To store:
Cut off the green tops (save those greens
and put them in your veggie freezer bag to make
veggie stock). Loosely wrap unwashed leek bottoms
(with roots attached) in a plastic bag and store them
in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator where they
will keep for two weeks.
To prep:
Cut the leek about 1 inch above the white part, where the leaves change from dark to light green.
Save the unused greens; they'll flavor your following vegetable stock great.
Slit the leek lengthwise and soak it in lukewarm water for 15 minutes.
Fan the leaves under running water to dislodge dirt, then pat dry.
Chop the white part of the allium finely.
To use:
Leeks can be used in salads, casseroles, soups, or wherever onions are used. They can be braised, boiled, grilled, or steamed.
To freeze:
Cut the white parts of the leek into slices and flash freeze in Ziplock bags.
RECIPES:
Creamy Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon OLIVE OIL
1 bunch leeks, dark green stems removed, washed thoroughly and sliced thinly (2 large or 3-4 smaller leeks)
2 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped (about 2-2 1/2 lbs after preparation)
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable broth + 2 cups water
1/3 cup NUTRITIONAL YEAST
Optional: 4 heaping cups washed and chopped leafy greens (such as kale, collard greens, or spinach)
Optional: Chopped green onions, snipped chives, coconut bacon, eggplant bacon, or tempeh croutons, for topping
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are completely cooked. Add the potatoes, salt, and pepper.
Add the broth and water. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are so tender that they almost fall apart. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend about half the soup, so that it has a creamy, thick texture but chunks of potato and celery are still visible.
Stir in the nutritional yeast and adjust salt and pepper to taste. If you want to add greens, stir them and simmer the soup until they're wilted and tender. Serve the soup with toppings of choice.
Black-eyed Peas & Leeks
After slicing the leeks, you want to make sure you wash them well.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons+ unsalted butter
fine grain sea salt
4 good-sized leeks, dark green parts trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced every 1/2-inch
3 cups cooked black-eyed peas*
heaping 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
Heat the olive oil over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter in your largest skillet. When hot, add a couple of big pinches of salt and stir in the leeks. Cook gently, stirring regularly, until the leeks are nice and golden.
Add the drained beans to the skillet. Cook until heated through, then stir in the marjoram, tarragon, a couple big pinches of salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasoning to your liking. You can add more salt, herbs, or butter at this point until it is to your liking.
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