Barbara Clark ties a bunch of leeks on the back patio at her farm, where she has 6,000 of the plants growing. Clark, owner of Maggie’s Farm in Lawrence, supplies the Community Mercantile and local restaurants with leeks, as well as selling them at the Lawrence Farmers’ Market.

Leeks look like an overgrown green onion, but only the white and light green parts are good to eat; the dark green tops are too tough.

The leek’s nickname is the “poor man’s asparagus” — funny first of all because leeks and asparagus aren’t even kissing cousins.

But the moniker is made all the more strange by the fact that the humble leek is rarely on the poor man’s table, rich man’s table or any other American table outside of those in restaurants, says Ken Baker.

“I don’t think home cooks use it very often,” says Baker, the proprietor and chef at Pachamama’s Restaurant, 800 N.H. “In restaurants, it’s used (in) soups, stews, stocks — just all kinds of things, and those are generally the kinds of items that home cooks don’t try and tackle as much.”

Even Baker admits he isn’t apt to serve them at home, copping to being more of a “beans and franks guy,” outside of his restaurant. But for those who wish to be a bit more daring at dinner and take advantage of the beginning of Kansas’ leek season, the rewards can be great as the vegetable packs a more delicate flavor than its more common relatives, onions and garlic.

“I think of it as a flavor base,” Baker says. “As far as a vegetable, it’s used as something to further strengthen a recipe.”

Ye olde leek

The leek looks a bit like an overgrown green onion, with its thin white bulb and long shock of greens, but the flavor and smell are much more mild. Baker explains which end is up this way: “There’s only two parts you can use on the leek, and that would be the white part and the pale green part. … The leafy green part is too tough.”

That leafy green part, he says, is just as great for your compost pile as the leek is for adding flavor to any dish. And that flavor addition is something that has been lauded for centuries on several continents, says Baker, who has a great interest in the history of food.

“You find it on Egyptian tombs, on their wall paintings,” Baker says. “Nero, the emperor (of Rome), was a super fan of leeks. They called him … ‘leek eater’ because he thought it helped his singing. The Welsh, in, I think, the sixth century A.D., used to wear leeks on their helmets so that they could identify themselves. They thought it made them stronger in war. So, it’s got a lot of history to it.”

In its current state, the leek is possibly most famous for its use in potato-leek soup. And that’s certainly the favored way for Barbara Clark to eat her leeks.

“We do a lot of leek and potato soup, even in the summer. It’s just something that is just so simple and so nourishing. With a cup of that and a fresh salad, you can’t go wrong,” Clark says. “And then there’s a potato-leek (vichyssoise) … that has heavy cream and all those things that you should think about cutting back on, but man, that’s just really nice.”

The grit of it

Clark, owner of Maggie’s Farm in Lawrence, supplies the Community Mercantile, 901 S. Iowa, and local restaurants with leeks, as well as selling them at the Lawrence Farmers’ Market. She has 6,000 leeks growing this year on her property and hopes to keep them popping up through winter.

She knows when she says she has 6,000 leeks, the first thing to come to many a cook’s mind is “Man, that’s a lot of cleaning.” That’s because leeks’ many layers have a reputation for trapping grit. But Clark says the soils in northeastern Kansas really help make the most difficult part of dealing with leeks — the cleaning — less of an issue.

“The soils out here, we amend them a lot with compost. It’s not real sandy soil,” Clark says. “I know a lot of the cookbooks that you see show you how to slice them and fan them out to get stuff out. But really … that’s not really a big issue.”

If you do happen to buy leeks that aren’t local or seem to be exceptionally dirty, it is important to slice the leeks and swish them around in a bowl of water to get all the grit out says Baker.

“You don’t want that in your finished product,” Baker says.

If properly cleaned, what you will find in your finished product is a nice, refined flavor, well worth the effort, he says.

“It’s one of those things that is super versatile and at the same time, it’s not a very strong, overpowering ingredient,” Baker says. “So, you can use it in a lot of recipes without going overboard.”

LEEK RECIPES

Vichyssoise (Chilled Potato-Leek Soup)

2 cups baking potatoes, peeled and cut into fine dice

4 tablespoons butter

6 leeks, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces

3 cups chicken stock

Dash of nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup sour cream or buttermilk

Chives minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and black pepper to taste

Note: The addition of a green like arugula, sorrel or watercress is a nice alternative.

Cook the potatoes in salted water to cover until just tender. Melt the butter in a skillet and cool the leeks gently, tossing them lightly, for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the leeks until tender. Add the potatoes to the leeks and the broth and season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon and nutmeg. Put this mixture in the blender in batches, and blend until smooth. Chill. When ready to serve, whisk in heavy cream and sour cream. Garnish with chopped chives. Serves six.

— Recipe from Ken Baker.

Leeks Barigoule with Serrano Ham

12 leeks (white and pale green parts), trimmed, split lengthwise, and rinsed

1/4 pound Serrano ham, cut into matchsticks

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

8 garlic cloves

4 bay leaves

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock or water

Zest and juice of one lemon

1 bouquet garni of thyme, oregano, and marjoram sprigs

1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Cook leeks and ham in 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoon butter with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably with straight sides) over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer until most of liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock, bay leaves, lemon juice, herb bundle, and remaining tablespoon each of oil and butter. Simmer briskly, covered, until leeks are tender and liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Serves six.

— Recipe from Ken Baker.

Grilled Leeks with Goat Cheese Mousse and Vinaigrette

For Vinaigrette:

1 cup oregano leaves

1 cup marjoram leaves

1/2 cup parsley leaves

2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon shallots, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Puree herbs and vinegar until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk in shallots, olive oil, and lemon. Season to taste.

For Goat Cheese Mousse:

2 egg whites

8 ounces fresh goat cheese, softened

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 ounces heavy cream, heated

8 leeks barigoule from above

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat goat cheese with butter and hot cream until light. Fold egg whites into cheese mixture and season with salt and pepper. 1 leek, cut into fine julienne. Season with salt and sprinkle with flour or rice flour. Fry until crisp for garnish. A julienne of won ton wrappers fried will work as well. Grill leeks until nicely charred. Place on center of plate. Spoon the goat cheese mousse over the leeks. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and garnish with fried leeks. Serves six.

— Recipe from Ken Baker.

Leek and Fingerling Potato Soup

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups young, tender leeks, sliced into thin coins

4 cups fingerling potatoes, sliced into thin coins

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet or dutch oven. Add the leeks and potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching. Add the stock bring to a boil, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

— Recipe from Barbara Clark.