I am very lucky to have an excellent corner shop about 5 minutes walk from my flat. During the lockdown, I am only trundling down there when absolutely necessary but the last time I went, I nabbed two leeks. I had no idea what I would do with them but Suzannah Leigh had the solution. Her recipe is right at the bottom of this post.
At my hen night do in early March my friend Katy presented me with a reblochon her lovely husband David had brought me back from a skiing trip (remember when you could go on a skiing trip?).
He knows me so well!
So the first thing I made when I got back from my wedding brouhaha was a tartiflette, following Felicity Cloake’s excellent recipe. “Do you have the stomach for potatoes and bacon cooked with a whole cheese?” asks Felicity. Yes I do! Total comfort food for these crazy times.
My lovely neighbour Corinna had scored me some potatoes for this dish and left them in a carrier bag on my doorstep with an extra surprise…
I feel something from the excellent Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook coming on…
and it has reminded me of the fabulous #partylikeamadman cookalong when I made Vincent Price’s Butterfly Steak Hong Kong, Mr R didn’t have a beard and my hair wasn’t grey…
I thought I had eaten LOADS of the tartiflette on the night I made it (straight out of the dish, on a Skype call with Vic and Corinna) but I barely made a dent.
On day 2 and 3 of my lockdown I had great big helpings of it with Suzanna’s leeks and some broccoli I also scored at the corner shop.
There was still LOADS of the tartiflette left. It defeated me with all its cheesy amazingness. Now 3 portions have gone into the frozen archives and if I can get any leeks later on down the line, I shall serve them to myself Suzanna’s way. I will then go all dewy-eyed as I remember the weirdness of my first few days of enforced solitude.
Suzanna Leigh’s Leeks Vinaigrette
Boil the leeks for 10 minutes, drain and cool. Split lengthwise, not quite severing completely. Mix up normal vinaigrette sauce, adding a good tablespoon of sugar. Pour over leeks and serve.
Your blog post made me hungry! It all looks delish!
I keep thinking about those lumps of tartiflette in my freezer! Jx
That looks amazing . I’d have nightmares for a month ! Leek and Potato soup, one of my favourites, melted gruyere cheese on top … Great for Quiche to . .. Or just chopped and fried in a little butter and served with a cheese sauce .. Think I need a leek now.
Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese! Mmmmmmm – cheesy dreams! I have some gruyere in my freezer. During lockdown, when I am not working like a maniac for the AP, all I do is think about food…