With a yard half covered with snow, we say goodbye to winter in DC. Today is the first day of spring, a day I usually celebrate with a typical spring dish like asparagus risotto. However, without any traces of fresh leaves on the trees, and my boots still dirty from snow and mud, the time doesn’t feel quite right for these kind of recipes. Instead of welcoming spring, I decide to say goodbye to this extremely long winter with this comforting hot and creamy leek sandwich. Today, I’ll have it for lunch, but feel free to prepare it with a big green salad as an easy supper.
Vegetarian Lunch
Serves 2
Action Time: 15 minutes
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
1 large leek, sliced
5oz/150 g mixed mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, chopped coarsely
2 heaping tbsp crème fraîche (or use heavy cream)
½ tbsp whole grain mustard
about 2 oz/ 55 g coarsely grated strong cheese, such as gruyère or a sharp cheddar
4 slices of (sourdough) bread
some flat leaf parsley leaves or fennel fronds
1 Preheat the broiler. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the leeks for several minutes, until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for several minutes, until tender. Stir in the crème fraîche (or heavy cream) and mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.
2. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides with some oil. Toast until golden, turn once. Keep an eye on the bread, because they’ll burn quickly.
3. Pile the leek mixture onto the bread and broil shortly until the cheese has melted. Garnish with parsley or fennel fronds and serve right away.
