Roasted Leek and Garlic Spread is made from leeks and garlic that are roasted to sweet perfection, along with bold olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper. This is excellent on bread.
When it comes to grocery shopping, I am a grocer's dream. They might as well stamp a gigantic "Impulse Buyer!" stamp on my forehead and call it a day. Display cases of fresh bread and cheeses just call to me. The produce department's bright and beautiful wares are always beckoning to me. And the butcher's station ... Oh, what a life.
It was an impulse buy that brought these leeks home with me a few weeks back ... only to be promptly forgotten. I'd really wanted to eat some, but it didn't happen. Though I had the best intentions of using them right away, I didn't actually get to it until today. Thankfully, they were still pretty fresh (minus an outer leaf or two). (Yes, if you see yucky outer leaves, you can pull them off and wash and cut the leeks as usual for use. Within reason.)
But it is somewhat good that I waited on these because this morning while playing around with ideas, I came up with this delightful Roasted Leeks and Garlic Spread. It's amazing -- especially on freshly baked bread.
The spread takes a little more than 20 minutes to make and is perfect for everything from picnic to date. Heck, it would even make an awesome addition to the standard brunch fare too. Maybe even with a poached egg on top?
What's amazing in this dish is how sweet the leeks and garlic get while roasting them in the oven. With a touch of olive oil and a bit of the moisture from soaking the leeks, the leeks and garlic are rendered tender enough to puree. It also makes them so perfectly sweet. Once it's all done and pureed, slather it on the bread and sprinkle it with some freshly grated Italian cheese like romano or parmesan and a sprinkle of your very favorite finishing salt. One bite and you will be hooked.
No, really. I mean it.
What's your favorite variety of bread?
Roasted Leek and Garlic Spread
Roasted Leek and Garlic Spread is made from leeks and garlic that are roasted to sweet perfection, along with bold olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper. This is excellent on bread.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch leeks, (about 3-4), white and light green parts only
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Soak the leeks for at least 30 minutes in a bowl of water. Meanwhile, start preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and pile the leeks on, leaving them somewhat wet. Add the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast the leek for 20 minutes in the hot oven. Once they are done, and tender, transfer the whole mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth.
- To use: Spread on warm, crusty bread and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and sprinkle of your favorite finishing salt.
best brunch recipe:
good friends
tasty food
lots of understanding
sprinkled with laughter
doesnt get any better than this...
Your recipe sounds delicious and oh so easy. My favorite brunch recipe is Pesto Cheese Tarts made with those pre-made phyllo tarts. YUM!
i love doing bruch, i make home made pizza, salad,my sweet tea of course ranch dip with chips i take lunch meat roll it up like a cone fill it with cream cheese
My Brunch must is Mimosa's,,champagne and orange juice,,,no brunch is complete without it!
Found this link thru Pillsbury, which I already subscribed. Your dip/spread sounds delicious and I plan on making it tomorrow for my quilt group meeting! Its exactly what I was looking for -- something savory to go with my mini raspberry cakes. Liked your FB page and gave you a big thumbs up on Babble. Looking forward to perusing your pages.
Adding entry for Tammy Magill - FB Fan for SCB and Pillsbury
Adding entry for Tammy Magill - Babble Like
My favorite brunch is fresh fruit, french bread with jam and mimosa's.
The food looks good. i love pillsbury. i bake pillsbury brownies and other stuff. havent had a good lunch or brunch in forever. still waiting for one to come along.
I love over night oven baked french toast! You make it the night before, so in the morning, you have your company, cup or two of coffee and visit while it bakes! LOVE IT!
I also liked Sarah Cucina on FB-I already liked Pillsbury! 🙂
I "thumb's up" for Sarah on Babble's blog -she was on page 3, #107 🙂
I also am following Sarah Caron on Twitter...can you tell I want to win the brunch prize? 😛 thanks for the great Leek/Garlic spread too!
Monkey Bread and breakfast bites. (a little thing I came up with that you just pop in your mouth)
My favorite brunch item is a stuffed baked french toast, stuffed with blueberries and cream cheese and then served with warm homemade blueberry syrup. Served with Little Smokies, lots of fresh fruits, and a variety of drinks.
Love leeks. Always use them in my chicken and wild rice chowder.
Stacey mentioned the best brunch item. Egg, sausage brunch casserole. Have some strawberries on the side, and a great cup of coffee.
I love this spread! My favorite Spring brunch is at Easter's. Besides the ham, I like to make a lot of finger foods. This spread will be in my list for next year....and in Christmas, too! I even see it being spread on a wrap for next day leftover ham or turkey, chicken, veggies. I wonder how it would taste tossed with pasta and garlicky shrimp.