Creamy Rutabaga & Leeks

Ontario leeks seem to be available for much longer than they used to be, right through the winter if we are lucky. I also seem to be doing a series of vegetable dishes consisting of a changing array of vegetables cooked with leeks and butter. Now I'm doing rutabaga, and like almost everything else it goes beautifully with leeks and butter. How could it not? And then I upped the ante and added cream. Wow! Yes, this is very rich and commensurately delicious with it.

I'm proud to say I grew both the rutabaga and the leeks that went into this dish.

4 servings
1 hour - 20 minutes prep time

4 cups rutabaga, peeled and grated
2 cups (2 medium leeks) finely chopped leeks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
freshly grated nutmeg to taste
3/4 cup 10% cream
1 teaspoon arrowroot OR cornstarch

Peel and grate the rutabaga. Wash, trim, and finely chop the leeks.

Heat the butter in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the rutabaga and mix in well. As it begins to wilt down, mix in the stock. Cover and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir frequently. Add some water if the stock looks like boiling off - the liquid can and should be getting fairly low by the end, but don't let it disappear.

Season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 

Add the leeks, and continue simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly and watching the level of the liquid. By the time they are tender, the liquid should be about gone. Mix the starch into the cream and add them to the pot. Stir in well. Reduce the heat to a very slow simmer and let cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the cream has thickened and coated the vegetables. Serve at once.




Last year at this time, apparently, a new obsession was born as I made Spaetzle - Quick Austrian Egg Noodles (Dumplings).

Posted in: Ontario Food